Oregon pioneer history

Oregon pioneer history (1806—1890) is the period in the history of Oregon Country and Oregon Territory, in the present day state of Oregon and Northwestern United States.

It was the era when pioneers and mountain men, primarily of European descent, traveled west across North America to explore and settle the lands west of the Rocky Mountains and north of California. Some also arrived via the Pacific Ocean, traveling by ship either around Cape Horn or by changing ships at Panama. The period begins after the explorations of the lower Columbia River by Robert Gray and George Vancouver in 1792, along with the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition to Oregon Country, and runs until circa 1890 when railroads and urban centers created a more settled state.

At the beginning of the pioneer period the Oregon Country was the homeland of numerous tribes of Native Americans. Regardless, portions of the area were claimed by the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and Russia. From 1818 to the mid-19th century, several treaties were signed that would set the current political boundaries. In 1818, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of 1818 that led to what has been termed a “joint occupation” of the Oregon Country. Also in 1818 the U.S. resolved its claims with Spain regarding the western Louisiana Purchase lands, limiting Spanish claims to colonial Alta California south of the 42nd degree of latitude. This was followed by the Russo-American Treaty in 1825 that removed all remaining Russian-American Company claims south of 54’ 40” (previously resolved with the British, regarding claims with Great Britain only). The remaining territorial conflict between British and U.S. claims continued until 1846 when the Oregon Treaty settled the boundary issue with the 49th degree of latitude set as the international boundary between the United States and Britain’s North American possessions. However, due to some ambiguity in the treaty, future conflict did arise and ended with the bloodless Pig War over the San Juan Islands.

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