Oregon+Territory+-+Stephanie

[[image:Oregon_Territory_map.jpg width="685" height="547" link="http://iloveoregon.com/images/Oregon_Territory_map.jpg"]]
The **Oregon Territory** is the name applied both to the unorganized [|Oregon Country] claimed by both the [|United States] and [|Britain] (but normally referred to as the [|Oregon Country]), as well as to the [|organized U.S. territory] formed from it that existed between 1848 and 1859.
 * Brief History from Wikipedia:**

On August 14, 1848, Congress created the Oregon Territory, an area that includes what is today Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming, after the war of 1812 was settled. at Ghen on September 24, 1812 and existed until February 14, 1859. On February Orgeon Territory entered the Union as the U.S state of Oregon.
 * Date of Expansion:**

After the Revolutionary War, the Americans inherited Spanish to the region and eventually caused alot of boundary disputes with Great Britain. So America and Great Britain agree to form a joint comission to resolve boundary disputes. One of the result was the Treaty of Occupation of Oregon, signed on October 20,1818. As a result, British citizens and Americans in Oregon lived peacefully. The joint occupancy treaty was renewed in 1827. Both British and American Commissioners had fixed boarder between the United States and Canada at the 49th parallel from the Lake of the Woods (Minnesota Territory) west to the Rocky Mountains. 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.
 * How and why?**

Although the boundary issue appeared to be settled on land, disputes continued for nearly 30 years regarding which was the main channel of separation between American and British islands. The San Juan Islands boundary dispute was finally settled in 1872. When Indians in what is now Eastern Washington killed settlers led by missionary Marcus Whitman in 1847, pressure increased on the federal government to provide protection and order in the region. Congress passed the "Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Oregon" on August 14, 1848. Abraham Lincoln declined the territorial governorship and the job went to General Joseph Lane, fresh from the Mexican War. His hanging of five Indians accused in the "Whitman Massacre" signaled that law (if not justice) was finally being imposed in "Oregon Country."

In 1853, Washington Territory split off from Oregon. Oregon and Washington were admitted to the union and became states in 1859 and 1889 respectively. Finally, America gained rights to the Oregon territory through the Louisiana purchase from France and the 1813 Florida purchase treaty with Spain. [|[http://washingtonlink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5446]]

Oregon pioneers The Oregon Territory quickly became a magnet for diverse groups of immigrants and settlers.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/6249-pioneer-spirit-the-oregon-territory-video.htm
 * Video**

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Territory http://www.oregonpioneers.com/ortrail.htm http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/dwe/16335.htm http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonterritory/

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