During Polk's presidency and the 54'40 or Fight business, why exactly did the US want Oregon? Did it have a good fur trading industry? Was there some economic gain there? Was there some danger to national security if they didn't get it?
2006-12-08 17:10:03 · 7 answers · asked by Arwen 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
There was much to gain economicaly. The fur trade was still viable at that time though it was on the wain. We wanted the Columbia river basin for many reasons. A contigous border with Canada (the British Empire) was a major factor though we put more effort into settling Oregon than Washington at the time. We also felt we had established prior claim to the Northwest if for no other reason than the Lewis & Clark expedition. An excellent book on the subject is "LAND OF GIANTS - THE DRIVE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 1750-1950" by David Lavender. He's dead now ...passed away a few years ago at over 90 years of age. He was a prolific and well respected author on Western history and extremely factual in his writing. If you want to read a great history of the settling of the Pacific Northwest including all the reasons why then you should read this book.
2006-12-08 18:20:07 · answer #1 · answered by smilindave1 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As I sit in my room in Portland, I ask myself the same question... it's called land, farmland, timberland, etc. fur and other goods were important but land the clear motive... Americans wanted an empire... they believed God suddenly said they were his new chosen people, which is BULLSHIT, and so all the dumbasses come to the West Coast... and now everyone here doesn't know how to vote and they can't keep a school funded.
I am from Brazil, so why do I know this?
2006-12-08 18:09:38 · answer #2 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
to have access to the pacific ocean. with oregon annexed to the US, america would own almost half of the continent, with full access to both the atlantic and the pacific.
2006-12-08 20:16:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
we wanted there to be a straight border and to do that all of the states had to ride that oneline unfortunatly it all ended at Michigan so we can't always get what we want
2006-12-08 17:12:56 · answer #4 · answered by DR.PHIL-A-LIKE 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah. furs. If I'm not mistaen there was beaver there. and there were already lots of americans living there.
2006-12-08 17:12:53 · answer #5 · answered by spiffo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wheat grew there in abundance
2006-12-08 21:20:27 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
quality lumber
2006-12-08 17:11:56 · answer #7 · answered by TBONE 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋