How the 49th Parallel Came to Be the Border Separating the US and Canada
The Louisiana Purchase, the Columbia River, and Vancouver Island all played their own roles in driving the tensions that resulted in the 49th parallel.
On July 4th, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles from France. Territory that had been controlled on and off by the French since 1699 was ceded. The price tag was fifteen million dollars.
The land acquisition included land in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Land north of the 49th parallel. Today, we recognize the 49th parallel as the northern border separating the United States and Canada.
But how did the 49th parallel become the formal border? It didn’t come easy. And certainly not without tensions between the US and Great Britain. But after a pair of treaties and almost half a century, a border was born.
Land Bought From the French
The history of borders across the North American continent was complicated and contentious. The Louisiana Purchase irritated boundary tensions between the US and Britain.
Jefferson’s acquisition now created new contradictions. Treaties, some of which that had been in place since 1783 now were being breached.
At the time, Britain was war weary. Its many conflicts with the French had worn them down. The US recognized this and declared war on the Brit in 1812.
Neither side was able to secure the land they targeted during the conflict. The British hoped to captrue Louisiana and America wanted additonal portions of present-day Canada. Unable to gain a foothold, both parties soon wanted a compromise.
Settling Disputes Around the Great Lakes
The Convetion of 1818 was called to order in London. The 1818 treaty fixed the border between the middle of the US and Britain’s North America along the 49th parallel.
The solution required both countries to cede territory. From Lake of the Woods, Minnesota west to the Rocky Mountains in present day Montana - the line was drawn.
The dispute involving the land around the Great Lakes and along the northern plains was over. But it didn’t address the Pacific Northwest.
The Wild, Wild West
While the Treaty of 1818 was a turning point for US-British relations, the Oregon Territory remained disputed. As a result, a pain point remained.
The unresolved tensions would start to boil up along the Columbia River. Simply put, both countries believed they had historical claim to the Columbia.
In 1792, American Robert Gray was the first non-Native American explorer to enter the mouth of the Columbia River. The river would earn its name from Gray’s ship - the Columbia Rediviva.
Not long after, William Broughton of the British Navy, under command of Captain George Vancouver, went up the Columbia River. All the while, another Brit was riding the Columbia’s sources from the Canadian Rockies.
Come One, Come All
Refusing to capitulate to the other, the two countries agreed to a joint occupation as a part of the Treaty of 1818. Each country began trying to establish their own sovereignty in the area.
The Hudson Bay Company proposed extending Britain’s boundary further south. This would have given Great Britain most of Montana and Idaho, all of Washington, and the entire Columbia River.
Not only did Americans reject this idea, they countered with action. They encouraged settlers to venture further into the Oregon Country.
Disputes on Both Borders
Tensions between the US and Britain began to boil. Meanwhile, on the southern border of the United States, another border war was brewing.
The United States Senate was preparing for what would become the Mexican War. They knew better than to fight two wars on two borders at the same time.
Unwilling to fight for the northern border, compromise seemed the reasonable path forward. Returning to the negotiation table, the Americans received Great Britain’s first offer.
Last Stage of Negotiations
The concept of the 49th parallel from the Treaty of 1818 was put forward. This time, it extended to the Columbia River, including along the river all the way to the Pacific. It was not a clean line. The proposal would have given the British the entire Columbia Rivera and the Puget Sound.
The Americans, led by James Buchanan, countered. They wanted to keep things simple. Their proposal was simply a straight line all the way to the ocean. Using the 49th parallel, this would provide a clear border. One downside, it would result in splitting Vancouver Island into two.
Great Britain was not about to give up a new fort it had built on Vancouver Island. With Fort Victoria now the biggest deal breaker, the negotiators were close. They would find their compromise in rather vague language.
The 49th Parallel Becomes Official
Both parties agreed to using the 49th parallel with the exception that it would only extend into the middle of the channel separating Vancouver Island from the continent. Running east to west along the 49th parallel, with a favorable curve around the southern tip of Vancouver Island, a border had been set.
On June 15, 1846, the Oregon Treaty was signed. The border separating the continental United States from what is now Canada established.
Though two additional disputes around the ’favorable curve’ would arise in the coming years, one thing was certain. The relationship between the United States and Great Britain had begun a new relationship.
History for the Hurried:
November 19, 1942: The Russian Army began a massive counter-offensive against the Germans at Stalingrad during World War II. It wasn’t the first time Germany would see a counter from Russian soldiers.
November 19-20, 1990: The Cold War came to an end during a summit in Paris as leaders of NATO and the Warsaw Pact signed a Treaty on Conventional Forces.