how did the oregon territory open up for american settlement

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark reached the mouth of the Columbia in 1805, strengthening the U.S. claim to the region. John Jacob Astor, as the head of the Pacific Fur Company

, began European American settlement of the Oregon country with the establishment of a trading post at Astoria in 1811.

Full Answer

How did the United States claim Oregon Territory?

The Oregon Territory, 1846. The U.S. claim was based on the explorations of Lewis and Clark and on the establishment of trading posts set up by John Jacob Astor ’s Pacific Fur Company, such as Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. Great Britain based its claim, in part, on James Cook’s exploration of the Columbia River.

What is the history of the state of Oregon?

Oregon Territory. The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries (see Oregon Country ),...

Who was the first person to settle in Oregon?

American settlers finally began to reach the region with the establishment of The Oregon Trail in the 1840s. In 1840, Joseph L Meek and his company arrived in Oregon by wagon, becoming the first white settlers to reach the Columbia River by land.

What was the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute?

In 1846, the Oregon boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain was settled with the signing of the Oregon Treaty.

Why did settlers move to Oregon territory?

There were many reasons for the westward movement to Oregon and California. Economic problems upset farmers and businessmen. Free land in Oregon and the possibility of finding gold in California lured them westward.

How did America come to settle then control the Oregon Country?

Many Americans wanted to be able to get to the Pacific Ocean. One way to do this would be to control Oregon. In 1819, the United States and Spain signed the Adams-Onís Treaty. With this treaty, Spain gave up its lands in the Oregon Country.

When did the US get the Oregon Territory?

August 14, 1848On August 14, 1848, Congress formally established the Oregon Territory, which embraced the present-day states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

What are three reasons Americans moved to Oregon?

People went on the journey westward for many reasons. For example, it could have been for religious resons like Manifest Destiny and spreading their religion. Financial reasons like escaping debt, starting businesses, or raising a farm with fertile soil. Another reason was just for the sense of fun and adventure.

Who established one of the first American settlements in Oregon Country?

John Jacob Astor, as the head of the Pacific Fur Company, began European American settlement of the Oregon country with the establishment of a trading post at Astoria in 1811.

What did the US gain from the Oregon Treaty?

The two British colonies were amalgamated in 1866 as the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. When the Colony of British Columbia joined Canada in 1871, the 49th parallel and marine boundaries established by the Oregon Treaty became the Canada–US border.

How did the US get Washington and Oregon?

On August 14, 1848, Congress created Oregon Territory, a vast stretch of western America that included all or portions of five present-day states, including Washington. Within less than a decade, though, Congress agreed to split the area by calving off a new territory—Washington.

How did the US gain Oregon?

In 1846 the Oregon Treaty was signed between the US and Britain to settle the boundary dispute. The British gained the land north of the 49th parallel, including the Vancouver Island and the United States received the territory south of the parallel.

What was the main route that settlers took through the Rocky Mountains to Oregon?

the South PassRobert Stuart and Jedediah Smith both found the South Pass, a broad break through the Rockies. South Pass later became the main route that settlers took to Oregon. To survive in the wilderness, a mountain man had to be skillful and resourceful.

What was one reason the United States claimed Oregon Country?

The Oregon Country was important to Americans because they wanted access to the gold fields in California. The Oregon Trail started in Missouri and ended near the Columbia River. The Adams-Onis Treaty eliminated Spain's claim to the Oregon Trail.

What was the fate of Oregon Territory?

Along with territorial disputes with Spain and Mexico over the Southwest, the fate of the Oregon Territory was one of the major diplomatic issues of the first half of the 19th century.

Who was the president of Oregon Territory?

President James Polk , a supporter of Manifest Destiny with an eye also on the Mexican Southwest and California, was eager to settle the boundary of the Oregon Territory and proposed a settlement on the 49 degree line to Great Britain.

Who claimed the Bering Straits?

Originally Spain, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States claimed the territory. In 1819, under terms of the Transcontinental Treaty, Spain ceded its claims to the territory to the United States. Shortly thereafter the United States contested a unilateral Russian move to grant its citizens a fishing, whaling, and commercial monopoly from the Bering Straits to the 51st parallel. In 1823 President Monroe promulgated his doctrine, which put Russia on notice that the United States did not accept Russian attempts at monopoly. The U.S. claim was based on the explorations of Lewis and Clark and on the establishment of trading posts set up by John Jacob Astor ’s Pacific Fur Company, such as Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. Great Britain based its claim, in part, on James Cook’s exploration of the Columbia River.

Who established the Pacific Fur Company?

The U.S. claim was based on the explorations of Lewis and Clark and on the establishment of trading posts set up by John Jacob Astor ’s Pacific Fur Company, such as Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. Great Britain based its claim, in part, on James Cook’s exploration of the Columbia River. John Jacob Astor.

Who was the British colonist who settled the Columbia River?

Great Britain based its claim, in part, on James Cook’s exploration of the Columbia River. John Jacob Astor. As early as 1818 British and American Commissioners had fixed the border between the United States and Canada at the 49th parallel from the Lake of the Woods (Minnesota Territory) west to the Rocky Mountains.

Which river is the northern border of the United States?

The United States had proposed to extend the border along the same parallel to the Pacific Ocean, but Great Britain insisted that the northern border be drawn west to the Columbia River and then follow that river to the ocean. Neither side then budged, but they did agree to postpone the decision for 10 years.

What did the Oregon Trail do in the 1840s?

Thousands of Americans packed their possessions into covered wagons and traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1840s. (Oregon State Archives scenic photo)increased demand for Oregon’s wheat and wood. But even before 1849, American resettlers had remade the environment of the Willamette Valley with homesteads, vegetable gardens, tilled fields, fruit orchards and other signs of Euro-American cultivation and culture. In so doing, these new Oregonians acted out another aspect of their mid-19th century religious ideology: their understanding of the Biblical instruction to “have dominion” over nature. The changes they wrought transformed the environments upon which Native peoples had developed their seasonal rounds and other ways of thriving in their lands.

Where was the covered wagon on the Oregon Trail?

This covered wagon is at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill near Baker City. ​ (Oregon State Archives scenic photo)

What was the purpose of the Wolf Meetings?

Livestock also instigated the next big move toward government in 1843, during what would later be known as the “Wolf Meetings.” During those meetings, Willamette Valley settlers not only created a tax-funded bounty system meant to destroy wolves, bears, and other predators preying on livestock, but also decided to found a Provisional Government. The Wolf Meetings alienated many British citizens living in Oregon, and nearly all Britons abandoned the meetings, rejecting what was a clearly an American-led effort to establish American-style government in anticipation of the official extension of American authority. Those settlers were soon overwhelmed by rapidly-increasing numbers of Americans, who expanded the role of the Provisional Government and called on the United States to assert more authority in Oregon. The Americans especially wanted to guarantee their extensive land claims: up to a full square mile of land under the Provisional Government’s code of laws — which, of course, were not recognized by Great Britain, which still jointly occupied Oregon with the United States. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 provided some security by finally settling the boundary between U.S. and British claims at the 49th parallel. But Americans in Oregon wanted more: to become a U.S. territory, which would bring federal recognition of their land claims and, more importantly, federal intervention against Native peoples. It was their and the nation’s “Manifest Destiny” — the popular mid-century explanation of and justification for what many White Americans believed was the natural, inevitable and righteous expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.

What is the Oregon Territory?

That period ended when Oregon became an American State on February 14, 1859. The Territory of Oregon encompassed the segments of present-day Ida ho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Montana as well as parts of British Columbia which is now a Canadian province. The Territory’s first capitol was Oregon City. The next capital was Salem and Corvallis became the capital city after Salem. When Oregon became a US state, the seat of government was transferred back to Salem again.

When was the Oregon Treaty signed?

In 1846 the Oregon Treaty was signed between the US and Britain to settle the boundary dispute.

What was the first state capital of Oregon?

The Territory’s first capitol was Oregon City. The next capital was Salem and Corvallis became the capital city after Salem. When Oregon became a US state, the seat of government was transferred back to Salem again. The population of the Oregon Territory consisted mainly of Native Americans.

What was Oregon known for?

The Europeans first explored the territory from the sea. The region became known for its fur-trade and the British Hudson’s Bay Company dominated the market.

When did trappers start to settle?

In the late 1830s , trappers began to settle down on the land and more and more settlers and missionaries started to arrive to the territory. There was no organized government in those parts at the time.

When was Oregon mapped?

Following exploration by the Spanish and French, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Oregon was mapped by the Lewis and Clark expedition in their search for the Northwest Passage. Starting in the 1830s, many groups of pioneers travelled to the state on the famous Oregon Trail, and the U.S. began joint settlement of the area with the United Kingdom. In 1846, the border between U.S. and British territory was formally established at the 49th parallel – the part of the territory that was given to Britain would ultimately become part of Canada. Oregon was officially admitted to the union as a state on February 14th, 1859. Today, Portland, Oregon’s largest city, is considered one of the top cities in the nation in terms of quality of life, and the state is also known as one of the nation’s top producers of wine, boasting over 300 wineries.

What percentage of hazelnuts are grown in Oregon?

Oregon grows 99 percent of all hazelnuts produced in the United States. It is also the country’s leading producer of Christmas trees, with an output of more than 4.9 million trees in 2009. Oregon’s Crater Lake, formed in the remnant of an ancient volcano, is the deepest lake in the United States.

Why were beavers eliminated?

Due to the high demand for beaver hats and coats and unregulated trapping during the early settlement years, beavers were nearly eliminated by the mid-19th century. Since then, proper management has allowed the semi-aquatic mammals to flourish once again. Known as the “Beaver State,” Oregon features a picture of a beaver on the back of its state flag.

What state has a beaver on its flag?

Known as the “Beaver State,” Oregon features a picture of a beaver on the back of its state flag. Beginning in 1836, roughly 12,000 emigrants made the 2,000-mile trek from Independence, Missouri, to the Oregon Territory.

What happened to the American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory?

The American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory folded, and its certificates became collectors items. The signatures of the Society’s president, John McNeil, and secretary, Robert P. Williams, have been “ink cancelled” on the remaining documents, including this one, to indicate they were not valid.

Who invented the Society of Oregon?

The Society was the invention of Hall Jackson Kelley, a writer from Boston who was fascinated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He devoted himself to promoting the American colonization of Oregon and had visions of a grand city at the intersection of the Columbia and Multnomah (now Willamette) Rivers. When his petitions to Congress for financial, military, and legal support failed, Kelley used the Society to recruit and fund an overland expedition he hoped to organize. For twenty dollars, emigrants could join an company of fifty people led by an experienced guide. Kelley emphasized the need for people of "good morale [ sic] character” who had useful skills, such as carpentry and medicine. He was excessive in his praise of Oregon and of the people he wished to colonize it with, mainly, white American Protestants:

Why was Oregon created?

Oregon was created during a time of national tumult over slavery. The West was considered a “free soil” land for white labor, and a white racial utopia as well. The Compromise of 1850 had designated California a free state, meaning free from slavery, but like other states in the American West, California and Oregon were to be “free labor” states—the rightful domain of white laborers free from competition of nonwhites. This established a foundation in exclusionary racist policies in Oregon that guided state legislation until the twentieth century.

How did the Oregon donation land claim act help the pioneers?

While the history of the rugged individual archetype has become a critical ideological thread in the making of the West, it is an image that must take into account how reliant the pioneers were on government support and subsidies, and military support. Settlers in Oregon looked to the federal government to help them achieve solutions to the problems of land titles. The Donation Land Claim Act recognized the generous land claims of Oregon’s provisional government and set up a system for acquiring additional land. It was an early homestead act. Each white male citizen eighteen years or older was entitled to 320 acres of land if single; if he married by December 1, 1851, his wife could claim another 320 acres. A person had to live and use the land only for four years in order to have the right to gain title to the land, a narrow reading and interpretation of the legal precedent, res nullius. This created an open-ended ruling of Native land claims which frequently declared them as “abandoned property” according to Western laws. Prospective claimants needed only two witnesses to prove whether a contested plot of land was considered “in use” by the fruits of labor of its owner.

How did Polk secure the Oregon Territory?

The Oregon Territory was secured through diplomatic channels rather than military conquest in the Treaty of Oregon.

Where did Marcus and Narcissa Whitman settle?

In 1836, Whitman and his wife Narcissa, established a mission at Waiilatpu “The Place of the Rye Grass” in the Walla Walla Valley. Both the Spaldings and Whitmans claimed they were helping the Cayuse and Nez Perce “develop a better way of life,” but the Christians and non-Christians were segregated from each other. Narcissa Whitman, the wife of Marcus, disliked the Cayuse people, and like many on the Oregon frontier, she rarely interacted with them. The Cayuse were alarmed by the waves of pandemics in measles and smallpox that arrived with Euro-American settlers. Their suspicions grew regarding the onset of disease in their community and they thought the Whitmans were poisoning them. In a matter of time, Narcissa and Marcus Whitman’s missionary settlement at Waiilatpu met its demise in 1847.

What did the Oregon fever symbolize?

The nationalist myth of the rugged frontier individual would serve as a potent symbol of American individualism in the West, but it materialized through a morbid tragedy; the genocide of Native American communities.

How did America avoid war with Britain?

America was able to avoid war with Britain during a time when things were heating up over Mexico and the annexation of Texas. The Senate ratified the Oregon Treaty in 1846, and the boundary along the forty-ninth parallel was extended from its previous terminus in the middle of the Rocky Mountain to the Strait of Georgia. The Hudson’s Bay Company would retain the right to navigate the Columbia River south of the forty-ninth parallel, and it was promised protection for its possessions in American territory.

What did the Willamette Valley see as the future of the prairies?

Early settlers in the Willamette Valley viewed the prairies as their agrarian future and often spoke of them in positive pastoral terms that were conventional in the nineteenth century. The prairies were viewed as a Garden of Eden based on a social and racial utopia for Euro-Americans.

When did the Oregon Trail start?

American settlers finally began to reach the region with the establishment of The Oregon Trail in the 1840s. In 1840, Joseph L Meek and his company arrived in Oregon by wagon, becoming the first white settlers to reach the Columbia River by land.

Who was the leader of the Oregon Territory?

Dr Marcus Whitman. Despite gaining control of the Oregon Territory in 1846, the American government was deadlocked over setting up a territorial government in the region. Southern Congressmen wanted Oregon opened to slavery, while the Northerners were deeply opposed.

Why did the Oregon Provisional Government form?

These settlers created the Oregon Provisional Government to help manage the territory, although both Britain and the United States did not recognize it. Control of the region was eventually settled in 1846 when the United States and Britain agreed to split the territory at the 49th parallel.

What were the people who settled in the Pacific Northwest?

Although the region was open to settlers from both nations, initially the only people who showed much interest in the Pacific Northwest were fur traders associated with the Northwest Fur Company and the Hudson Bay Company. In 1825, the Hudson Bay Company founded Fort Vancouver which would become the center of settlement in the region for a number of years. During this same time, Catholic missionaries began to arrive in an attempt to convert the local Native Americans to Catholicism. Very few Americans arrived in the region until the 1830s and 1840s. This led the United States to agree to continue the joint British-American occupation of the territory indefinitely.

What was the fur trade?

The fur trade would go on to dominate the region's economy for the next fifty years. In 1818, the United States signed The Treaty of 1818 which was meant to settle the boundary between the United States and Canada. In addition to setting the border at the 49th Parallel, the treaty also set aside the Pacific Northwest - encompassing Oregon, Idaho, ...

Which two countries agreed to split the territory at the 49th parallel?

Eventually cooler heads prevailed and both nations agreed to split the territory at the 49th parallel. Both countries signed the The Oregon Treaty, which gave British Columbia to Great Britain and Oregon, Washington and Idaho to the United States.

Why is the Pacific Northwest important to the United States?

The Pacific Northwest holds an interesting place in American history because it was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. This is the story of how the territory that would become the states of Oregon and Washington and Idaho was claimed by the United States and settled.