Edited by Gerald Boerner
Commentary:
The Louisiana Purchase gave the United Stated most of the lands west of the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains south of the Canadian territory and north of the Spanish territory. However, the ownership of what is now the Pacific Northwest was disputed among the British, American, and Russian claims. The Treaty of 1818 left the territory to a joint control between the British and Americans. This agreement worked until James Polk was elected President.
Polk ran on a platform driven by Manifest Destiny. He wanted to annex the Republic of Texas into the U.S. He also wanted the bulk of the Oregon territory to become part of the U.S. The more radical supporters wanted the border between the British Columbian region an th American portion set at the 54th parallel (actually, 54’ 40); Polk agreed on a compromise of the 49th Parallel to avoid alienating voters. This included the territory of the present states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.
“The expansionist agenda of Polk and the Democratic Party created the possibility of two different, simultaneous wars, because relations between the United States and Mexico were deteriorating following the annexation of Texas. Neither Britain nor the United States really wanted to fight a third war in 70 years. Just before the outbreak of the war with Mexico, Polk returned to his earlier position on the Oregon boundary and accepted a compromise along the 49th parallel as far as the Strait of Georgia. This agreement was made official in the 1846 Oregon Treaty, and the 49th parallel remains the boundary between the United States and Canada west of Lake of the Woods…” (Wikipedia)
So, let’s jump into our exploration of the settling of the border dispute between the U.K. and U.S… GLB
These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved[ 4108 Words ]
Quotations Related to BORDERS:
“Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave.”
— Joseph Hall
“Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories.”
— Walter Benjamin
“Except on their southern borders the great northern forests are not good as a permanent home for man.”
— Ellsworth Huntington
