does anyone know what "54 40 or fight" means?

Question

i know it. im just testing your knowledge... tell me everything you know about it

"O" wise one, you know jack!
you get an X for giving the wrong answer.

strike one!

Answer 1

Well, 54 40 was not latitude and longitude; it was latitude only. 54 degrees and 40 minutes north latitude. Today, that's the southern boundary (with Canada) of Alaska's panhandle (Juneau, etc.).

But that parallel -- 54 degrees, 40 minutes -- actually figured in two controversies. The earlier one, in 1824-25, involved Russian claims on the one side -- they wanted fishing and territorial rights as far south as 51 degrees (the top of Vancouver Island, British Columbia) -- versus combined U.S. and British interests on the other.

At that time, the U.S. and Britain prevailed against Russia, and that's why the Alaska panhandle ends where it does. John Quincy Adams may have been involved in that negotiation, as I recall. That was the time of the Monroe Doctrine, and Adams was secretary of state.

Twenty years later, "Manifest Destiny" was the rage in politics. Expansionist presidential candidate James Polk (of Mexican War fame) adopted the slogan "54-40 or fight!" and pledged to extend United States territory northward to the Russian boundary.

The dispute here was with Great Britain, and the controversy was over the Oregon Territory. At that time, the Oregon Territory included what is today both Oregon and Washington, as well as a large chunk of today's British Columbia.

The territory of the United States at that time only extended as far west as the Continental Divide, as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, and the U.S.-Canadian border was fixed at 49 degrees as far west as the Rockies. California still belonged to Mexico, so the Oregon Country was open to competing claims.

Following the mountain men, wagon trains had begun traversing the Oregon Trail, and the lush Willamette Valley began filling up with pioneer settlers. North of the Columbia River, however, English trappers and traders were quite active. The north Pacific coast remained relatively isolated by sea. (The Panama Canal hadn't been built yet.) American settlers in Oregon, south of the Columbia, actively lobbied for northerly expansion to the Russian border.

In the 1844 election, Polk carried the day, and he promptly embarked on his expansionist program. But he quietly backed off on his "54-40" pledge to concentrate his efforts on "protecting" the disputed border between Texas (an independent country) and Mexico. This culminated in the Mexican War, instigated by Polk, that resulted in California and most of the Southwest being ceded to the U.S.

Polk's plate was full, and he quietly settled the "54-40" matter by extending the 49th parallel west from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean as the boundary with Canada. (And that's how we got the states of Washington and Oregon.)

So "54-40 or fight!" was quite significant in the history of the Pacific Northwest.

Answer 2

54 40 Or Fight

Answer 3

The reference was to the Oregon boundary dispute that the United States had with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in the 1840's. Until that decade, both countries has competing claims on the region.

The reference of "54-40 or fight" refers to some Americans wanting to claim the whole Oregon Territory, which had the recognised northern boundary of north 54 degrees 40 minutes. The slogan first appeared in January 1846, while President Polk was seeking a resolution with the British, who were wanting territorial claims south to the Columbia River. The supporters of the 54-40 claim were willing to go to war with Britain over the territory.

The final settlement was that the boundary would be the 49th parallel, with the British has navigation rights along the Columbia River. This was what Polk was wanting, so it was a diplomatic victory over the supporters of claiming the whole territory.

Answer 4

Yes, the Americans claimed the same area as the Russians in the Northwest territory.. 54 40 was the latitude and longitude.. the Americans told the Russians that the territory was theirs and if they still claimed it then it was 54 40 or fight. The Russians didn't think it was worth fighting over. I believe it was in the early 1800s

you see....."O" Wise One knows

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
does anyone know what "54 40 or fight" means?
i know it. im just testing your knowledge... tell me everything you know about it

Answer 6

5440 Or Fight

Answer 7

http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/5440orfight.htm