How The Pacific Northwest ended up a part of the United States

 In 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty, or Territorial Treaty, was signed by Spain and the U.S.  Spain gave up all land north of the 42 nd parallel, but retained modern day California, Texas, and the Southwestern states (for a while)  The U.S. gained a lot of land, including the PNW

Spain was struggling to control its other territories Spain has already given up some control in the area Spanish power was declining The Peninsular War had cost a lot of money and led to some civil unrest that needed attention They couldn’t really afford to be here, and didn’t want to be here enough to figure it out

 Agreed to give up claims to all land south of the current Russian border in 1826  Sold what is now Alaska to the United States in 1867 in a transaction known as “Seward’s Folly”

 Their main interest – the fur trade – was declining as a source of profit  They worried that Britain might take the area by force – England and Russia had recently fought a war, and England controlled Canada

 In 1818, the U.S. and Great Britain agreed to “joint occupation” of the PNW  In 1848, they signed the Treaty of Oregon, which established the current border between the U.S. and what would become Canada.

 They had plenty of land in the region (Canada)  They wanted to sustain good relations with the United States  Their main interest in the area was with the Hudson’s Bay Company, which had already moved north

 Many native groups were devastated by diseases brought by Europeans  A series of unjust treaties and forced moves further damaged their ability to maintain control over their lands  As settlers moved in, many native people did fight, but they were unable to defeat the Americans