Chapter 12 Section 1 The Oregon Country

Rivalry in the Northwest Four Claims In the early 1800s, four countries laid claim to the area known as the Oregon Country The countries were the U.S., Great Britain, Spain and Russia

Adams-Onis Treaty Americans wanted control of the Oregon Country in order to gain access to the Pacific Ocean Part of the Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain in 1819 limited Spain’s claim to the northern border of present-day California In 1824 Russia surrendered its claim In 1818 the U.S. and Britain agreed on joint occupation.

Mountain Men The first Americans to reach the Oregon Country were fur trappers who spent most of their time in the Rocky Mountains The men trapped throughout spring and early summer. In the late summer they gathered for a rendezvous (meeting) in order to exchange goods, compete in contests, and share stories During their explorations, the South Pass ( a wide break throughout the Rockies) was discovered. It became part of the Oregon Trail

Settling Oregon The Whitman Mission Among the earlier settlers to the Oregon Country were missionaries such as Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife who built a mission in present day WA. New settlers in the area unknowingly brought measles. An epidemic killed many Native American children. As a result, the Native Americans attacked the mission and killed the settlers.

The Oregon Trail In the early 1840s, “Oregon Fever” swept through the Mississippi Valley Pioneers traveled westward to the Oregon Country using the trail.

The Division of Oregon Manifest Destiny Between 1840 and a845, the number of Americans in the Oregon Country grew much faster than the British population Many Americans believed that it was the mission of the U.S. to expand to the pacific Ocean In the 1840s, NY newspaper editor John O’Sullivan put the idea of a national mission into specific words. He declared that it was America's “Manifest Destiny” to extend its boundaries all the way to the Pacific Ocean

“Fifty-four Forty or Fight” American settlers in Oregon wanted sole claim to the area. They wanted the U.S. claim to go all the way north to 54 40’N The 54 40’N line became a major issue in the 1844 presidential election. James K. Polk, who supported the border line, defeated Henry Clay

Reaching a Settlement Britain would not accept the line of 54 40’N because it would have lost its entire claim to the Oregon Country In 1846, the U.S. and Britain finally agreed on the line of 49’N