Oregon Territory

Territory of Oregon
Organized incorporated territory of the United States
← 1848–1859 →   →
Seal of the Oregon Territory
Capital		Oregon City (1848–1851) Salem (1851–1855) Corvallis (1855) Salem (1855–1859)
Government		Organized incorporated territory
Governor
•	1848–1850; 1853	Joseph Lane
•	1850	Kintzing Prichette
•	1850–1853	John P. Gaines
•	1853–1854	John W. Davis
•	1854–1859	George L. Curry
History
•	Oregon Treaty	June 14, 1846
•	Organized	August 14, 1848
•	Washington Territory split off	March 2, 1853
•	Statehood	February 14, 1859

Seal of the Oregon Territory

The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries (See Oregon Country), the region was divided between the UK and US in 1846. When established, the territory encompassed an area that included the current states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as well as parts of Wyoming and Montana. The capital of the territory was first Oregon City, then Salem, followed briefly by Corvallis, then back to Salem, which became the state capital upon Oregon's admission to the Union.

Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the region that became the Oregon Territory was explored by Europeans first by sea. The first documented exploration came in 1777 by the Spanish, with British and American vessels visiting the region within a few years. Later, land based exploration by Alexander Mackenzie and the Lewis and Clark Expedition along with the establishment of the fur trade in the region set up a variety of conflicting territorial claims by European powers and the United States.

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