Oregon Treaty Settles Border at 49th Parallel
The Oregon Treaty, signed on June 15, 1846, established the 49th parallel as the boundary between British North America and the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Georgia, with Vancouver Island remaining entirely British. The treaty resolved the "Oregon Question," which had been a source of tension since both nations jointly occupied the region under the Convention of 1818. American expansionists had campaigned under the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," demanding the entire territory up to Russian Alaska. President James K. Polk, simultaneously pursuing war with Mexico, compromised at the 49th parallel. The treaty was significant for establishing what became the world's longest undefended border and for its peaceful resolution of a territorial dispute that might easily have led to a third Anglo-American war.
June 15, 1846
180 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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