Hook
mystery story hook
“Like a mystery story, the Whitman Massacre leaves clues pointing in more than one direction—some even lead back to the Whitman's themselves.”
Whitman's fault claim
“Some people believe the Cayuse were completely at fault, but the Whitmans also…”
Refused to listen to warnings example #1
There are a variety of reasons why the Whitman's are not innocent, one of those is their unwillingness to acknowledge warnings.
Reason 2 - measles - sentence example #1
European diseases such as measles were also a huge threat to the Cayuse who blamed the Whitman's for this affliction.
Reason 3 - religion and language - example sentence #1
And finally, the power of the language barrier with powerful topics in religion painted the Whitman's as disrespectful and terrifying in their beliefs.
“When two cultures clash, misunderstanding can be as deadly as any weapon. Could the Whitmans have done more to prevent the tragedy?”
Cultural misunderstanding claim - Whitmans
"If the Whitman's had understood the Cayuse culture better, they might have avoided…”
Refused to listen to warnings example #2
The Whitmans cannot be considered innocent for several reasons, including their refusal to pay attention to the warnings.
Reason 2 - measles - example sentence # 2
European diseases like measles were also a major danger to the Cayuse, who held the Whitman's responsible for the sickness.
Reason 3 - religion and language - example sentence #2
Finally, the language barrier—especially around sensitive religious topics—made the Whitmans appear disrespectful and even frightening in their beliefs.
actions are stronger than words hook
“Every mystery has more than one side. What if the Whitmans’ actions, not just the Cayuse anger, helped set the stage for their own tragic end?”
Where the evidence leads claim - Whitman's
“The evidence shows that the Whitmans’ choices and actions led to…”
Refused to listen to warnings #3
One of the many reasons the Whitmans are not innocent is that they ignored the warnings they were given.
Reason 2 - measles - example sentence #3
The Cayuse also faced serious threats from European illnesses such as measles, and they blamed the Whitmans for bringing these diseases.
Reason 3 - religion and language - example sentence #3
And last but not least, the difficulty of communicating about complex religious ideas caused the Whitmans to be seen as both disrespectful and intimidating.
The evidence points to the language barrier Hook
“Sometimes the evidence points clearly in one direction. In this case, it leads straight to the language being being the cause of the violent choices made that night.”
the language barrier responsibility claim
“The language barrier can be considered the primary reason for the Whitman's death.”
Refused to listen to warnings example #4
The Whitmans’ failure to acknowledge the warnings is one of several factors that shows the language barrier was a factor in the demise of the Whitman's.
Reason 2 - Measles - example sentence #4
Measles and other European diseases also posed a severe risk to the Cayuse, leading them to blame the Whitman's for the outbreak because communication was virtually impossible in such a terrible pandemic.