Oregon Treaty

The 1846 agreement between the United States and Britain that established the boundary between their North American territories west of the Rocky Mountains, largely along the 49th parallel.

Oregon Country: A region of the Pacific Northwest claimed by Britain and the United States before their boundary was settled. The treaty divided this contested region between the two countries.
49th parallel north: The circle of latitude 49 degrees north, used as a political boundary across parts of North America. The treaty extended this line westward to the Pacific, with an island boundary exception.
United States–Canada border: The international boundary separating the United States from Canada. The treaty established a long western section of this boundary.
54°40′ or Fight: A United States expansionist slogan demanding a northern boundary at latitude 54°40′ or war with Britain. The treaty stopped at the 49th parallel instead of accepting the slogan’s demand.
Columbia District: A British fur-trading district in the Pacific Northwest, administered by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Its operations and settlements underpinned Britain’s presence in the disputed territory.
Juan de Fuca Strait: A strait between Vancouver Island and Washington State connecting the Pacific Ocean with inland waters. The treaty specified the boundary through the strait and nearby channels.
Pacific Northwest: A region of western North America centered on the coasts and interior lands of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The agreement divided political control across this broader region.
Anglo-American Convention of 1818: An agreement that established joint occupation of the Oregon Country by Britain and the United States. It left the territorial dispute open until the 1846 settlement.
Oregon Trail: A major overland route used by migrants traveling from the central United States to the Pacific Northwest. Growing American migration strengthened the United States’ claim to Oregon Country.
Vancouver Island: A large island off the Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. The agreement assigned the whole island to Britain despite the boundary’s nearby passage.

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