THE OREGON COUNTRY

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• California History Standard
• Analysis Skills Chronological and Spatial
  Thinking 3 Students us a variety of maps and
  explain the historical migration of people,
  expansion and growth of economic systems
• Content 8.8.2 Describe the purpose, challenges,
  and economic incentives associated with westward
  expansion, including the concept of Manifest
  Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition,
  accounts of the removal of Indians, the
  Cherokees' "Trail of Tears," settlement of the
  Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions
  that spanned numerous decades.
• Lesson Objective examine people and groups who
  contributed to westward expansion by migrating
  west and apply key information in annotating a map

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Take out your research packet and turn to the map
  titled THE OREGON COUNTRY
• You will need a pen, color pencils or markers

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• In the early 1800s, Oregon included all of the
  land along the Pacific coast from Alaska to
  Spanish California. Four countries claimed this
  region.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Spain said it owned Oregon because of the
  expeditions of Balboa and other Spanish explorers
  during the 1500s and 1600s.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• England based its claim on the voyages along the
  Oregon coast by Sir Francis Drake (1579), Captain
  James Cook (1778), and Captain George Vancouver
  (1792).

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Russia, which owned Alaska, wanted Oregon because
  Russian explorers and fur trappers had gone there
  in the 1700s.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The United States pointed out that Captain Robert
  Gray had traded with the Oregon Indians for furs
  during the 1780s.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The furs were then carried to China and exchanged
  for silk, tea, and other goods.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Captain Gray discovered a river which he named
  for his ship, the Columbia.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Lewis and Clark strengthened the American claim
  by visiting Oregon in 1805, while exploring the
  Louisiana Territory.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Next to Arrow 1 (Caribbean), print 1513 Balboa
  discovers the Pacific and claims all land which
  borders it, including Oregon, for Spain.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• In the area which today is Mexico and the
  southwestern United States, print Spanish
  territory until Mexico gained its independence in
  1821.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Print these explorers and countries along the
  dotted lines
• Arrow 2 1579 Sir Francis Drake (England)
• Arrow 3 1778 James Cook (England)
• Arrow 4 1788 Robert Gray (United States)
• Arrow 5 1792 George Vancouver (England)
• Arrow 6 1804-1805 Lewis Clark (United
  States).

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Label the Columbia River,
• Pacific Ocean,
• Rocky Mountains,

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Label the United States, and British Canada.

BRITISH CANADA
UNITED STATES
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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• In parentheses underneath ALASKA, print Russian
  territory.
• Along Arrow 7 from Alaska to Oregon, print
  Russian fur traders.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Lightly shade the Oregon Country.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Spain and Russia eventually gave up their claims
  to the Oregon Country. In 1818, Great Britain and
  the United States signed a treaty which allowed
  citizens of both nations to live there.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The first white settler in Oregon was John Jacob
  Astor, an American fur trader.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• He built a fur-trading post at Astoria, near the
  mouth of the Columbia River.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• British traders employed by the Hudsons Bay
  Company founded Fort Vancouver.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• John McLoughlin, who directed the operations of
  the Hudsons Bay Company, acted as governor for
  about 20 years.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• McLoughlin established good relations with the
  Indians, and welcomed settlers as well as fur
  traders to the region. But few settlers moved to
  Oregon during the 1820s and 1830s.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• In the late 1830s, some American missionaries
  arrived to teach Christianity to the Indians.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The missionaries included Henry and Eliza
  Spalding, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Many easterners, including people who had lost
  their jobs during the Panic of 1837, began
  forming wagon trains to go to Oregon. Most of the
  pioneers gathered at Independence, Missouri.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The Whitmans wrote letters to friends back East
  describing the abundant wildlife, beautiful
  mountains, and fertile river valleys.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• As many as a hundred wagons or more would leave
  together on the 2,000-mile journey over the
  Oregon Trail. Their destination was the
  Willamette Valley, famous for its rich farmland.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Next to dot 8, print 1843 First wagon train
  leaves Independence, Missouri.
• Label the dotted line leading to dot 10 Oregon
  Trail.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Print Astoria next to dot 9, and
• Print Fort Vancouver next to dot 10.
• South of Fort Vancouver, print Willamette Valley.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• In 1844, James K. Polk used the slogan 54-40 or
  Fight! during his campaign for President - a
  reference to the latitude line which marked the
  northern boundary of Oregon.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• Many Americans demanded that Great Britain give
  up its claim to Oregon, so the United States
  could own all of it.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• But after Polk became President, the Americans
  and British decided to end their joint
  occupation (shared ownership) of Oregon by
  dividing the territory between them.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The boundary became the 49th parallel, the same
  line which separated the United States and Canada
  farther east. President Polk was happy to solve
  the Oregon question peacefully.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• The compromise was needed to avoid conflict with
  Britain Polk knew that a war was near with
  Mexico because of the annexation of Texas, and a
  dispute over the boundary between Mexico and the
  United States.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Next to the northern boundary of the Oregon
  Country, print 1844 James K. Polk 54-40 or
  Fight!

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On the map
• Next to the dashed line which shows the division
  of Oregon Country, print 1846 U.S. and Great
  Britain divide Oregon at 49th parallel.

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On a separate sheet of paper
• 1. In your opinion, did Spain, Russia, Great
  Britain, or the United States have the strongest
  claim to the Oregon Country? Explain your answer.
  (30-40 words)

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On a separate sheet of paper
• 2. Instead of dividing the Oregon Country with
  Great Britain, do you think the United States
  should have followed President James K. Polks
  campaign slogan 54-40 or Fight!? (30-40 words)

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On a separate sheet of paper
• 3. Give the meaning of the following terms (10-20
  words each)
• missionaries
• joint occupation
• 49th parallel

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THE OREGON COUNTRY

• On a separate sheet of paper
• 4. Identify these people (10-20 words each)
• Captain Robert Gray
• John McLoughlin
• Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
• President James K. Polk