Stephen Aron

It's not until after the United States reaches its agreement with

Great Britain about how to divide the larger Oregon territory, which includes what is the state of Washington and Oregon, as well as parts, you know, there's the Polk administration, President James K. Polk runs in 1844 on the platform, 54-40 or fight.

referring to the 5440 latitudinal line reaching way up into british columbia that's where the americans the united states are trying to claim now ultimately that dispute gets settled with britain the variety of reasons why britain is willing to settle for the 49th parallel as what becomes the border between british canada and what united states territory and then the

Polk switches his attention, of course, to the annexation of Texas and then the war with Mexico to acquire territories to the southwest.

But at least initially, Oregon is contested ground.

It also remains contested ground with native peoples who continue to live on those lands who are just willing to cede it away to Americans.

And yet, by the later 1840s, land offices are established and there are ways then for Americans to get legal title on very good terms to

Very fertile land in the Willamette Valley, which is the principal destination.

Gigantic region as well.

I just want to come back to this.

You mentioned Lewis and Clark a moment ago.

And I would say, you know, with Lewis and Clark, they know when they've reached the end of their journey because they reach the Pacific Ocean.

In this case, they're not getting quite to the Pacific.

They're settling.

You know, they're looking for the Willamette Valley, but they know when they get there.

It is without question a very important migration.

Many, many people, thousands, tens of thousands of people.

And yet in raw numbers...

By the 1850s, the numbers who are going to Oregon is dwarfed by the numbers who are going to California.

The lure of gold in California transforms the destination and transforms the demography of the migrations.