Oregon Mission - The International Politics

The International Politics

During these events the entire territory of what is now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho were claimed jointly by Great Britain and the United States, with economic activity and settlement and other investment by citizens and companies of both sides allowed. This arrangement was to continue indefinitely until both nations agreed on how it should be divided or transferred. Neither country was much interested in taking control, as they were unsure of continued national financial gains through fur trading. John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company and the much larger British Hudson's Bay Company were the primary interests there. As Hudson’s Bay Company grew due to its long-term presence and goodwill among the native peoples, the territory for most of the period was under de facto British administration. This was limited largely, however, to its trading posts and forts and the small settlements which grew up around them.

The Methodist missionaries sent three petitions to Congress requesting that the United States extend its jurisdiction into this area. Jason Lee toured the country in a crusade to encourage people to settle in the Oregon Territory. In 1843 alone, over one thousand settlers traveled the vast plains and mountains to make their home in Oregon. At that time, this represented the largest migration across the Rockies in history.

The joint jurisdiction of the Northwest between the United States and Great Britain, which began in 1818, ended in 1846 with the Oregon Treaty. The American migration had settled the issue. The boundary between the United States and Canada was fixed at the 49th parallel, where it remains today. The task of converting the Indians was less fruitful. Nevertheless, the Methodist Episcopal Church grew to meet the needs of the growing republic and played a large role in its increase.