Oregon Treaty

What it is

Signed on 15 June 1846 in Washington, D.C., this treaty ended the Oregon boundary dispute between the United States and Britain. It was negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State James Buchanan and British envoy Richard Pakenham, and signed and proclaimed by President James K. Polk.

Why it matters

The treaty divided the Oregon Country along the 49th parallel, settling a dispute that had threatened war. Polk's administration accepted this compromise, surprising expansionist hardliners in his own party who wanted the entire territory, partly to avoid fighting Britain and Mexico at the same time. The boundary it set still forms much of the Canada–U.S. border today.

Look closer

• Why might Polk have accepted a compromise boundary instead of pushing for the full 'All Oregon' claim?
• What does the Senate vote recommending negotiation tell you about divided opinion in Congress?
• What does the treaty's handling of Vancouver Island suggest about how borders were drawn without regard to geography?