1. The Oregon Country Chapters 16-17

2. Where: Today’s Oregon, Washington, Idaho, parts of Montana and Wyoming. Also part of the Canadian Province of British Colombia

3. 4 countries had claims to this area (originally): - United States- based on Robert Gray’s discovery of the Columbia River and the Lewis and Clarke expedition - Great Britain- on its claim on British explorations of the Columbia river - Spain- explored Pacific Coast and controlled California to the South (lost claim in the Adams-Onis Treaty) - Russia- had settlements that stretched south from Alaska into Oregon (lost claim in the Adams-Onis Treaty) The British and US had jointed Occupancy of this area President Adams wanted to divide country at the 49° line- Great Britain refused

4. Many wanted to travel to Oregon land (rumors of fertile land, pretty view, leaving economic troubles) -to travel they had to take trails- Oregon trail was the best to take their thanks to the South Pass (broad breakthrough in the Rockies) Journey became know as The Great Migration – 2,000 mile journey (emigrants) - Oregon Trail went through the Great Plains, Platte River and the South Pass of the Rockies- very challenging

5. The Oregon Trail

6. The Division of Oregon -Great increase in American population (500-5000) -Britain's population did not increase (700) -Manifest Destiny- belief it was United States nation mission to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us (expanding to the West Coast) Led To: -“Fifty-four Forty or Fight”- sole ownership of Oregon -refers to the line of latitude that Democrats believed should be the nation's northern border in Oregon * Polk’s strong support of this led to his Presidential victory over Henry Clay

8. Results: Britain didn’t want that to happen - 1846 compromised- the boundary between American and British portions was set at 49° latitude

9. Mormons Joe Smith founded this religion in 1830 Believed property should be held in common, believed in polygamy (the idea that a man can have more than one wife) Angered a lot of Christians Mormons were pushed around the United States finally settling around Salt Lake City, Utah (Brigham Young did this) Mormons conflicts with the government kept Utah from becoming a state for a long while (1896)