The first permanent settlement on the Columbia River was
made by the Pacific Fur Company, which was organized and controlled by John
Jacob Astor. It founded Astoria March 22, 1811. October 16, 1813, during the
war of 1812, the establishments of the Pacific Fur Company in the Oregon
Country, and all its furs and supplies, were sold, at less than one-third of
their value, to the Northwest Company, of Montreal, by the treachery of
Duncan McDougal, a partner of Astor in the Pacific Fur Company. December 1,
1813, the British sloop-of-war Raccoon arrived at Astoria and took formal
possession of it in the name of the King of Great Britain. The captain of
the Raccoon changed the name of Astoria to that of Fort George. Its name is
now Astoria. The Northwest Company continued to carry on its business at
Fort George and at other points in the Oregon Country until its coalition
with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821.
The treaty of peace between the United States and England
at the conclusion of the war of 1812 was signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814.
It is known as the "Treaty of Ghent." Under this treaty Great Britain, on
October 6, 1818, formally restored to the United States "the settlement of
Fort George on the Columbia River." A Convention between the United States
and Great Britain was signed October 20, 1818. That Convention provided that
the Oregon Country should be free and open, for the period of ten years, to
the citizens and subjects of the two countries, being what is called for
convenience joint-occupancy by the two countries. Another Convention between
the two countries was made in 1827, by which this joint-occupancy was
continued indefinitely, subject to termination after October 20, 1828, by
either the United States or Great Britain giving to the other twelve months
notice.2 In April, 1846, Congress passed a joint resolution giving the
President authority, at his discretion, to give such notice to the British
Government. Under the authority of this resolution President Polk signed a
notice, dated April 28, 1846, which by its terms was to go into effect from
and after its delivery to the British Government at London. June 6, 1846,
the British Government proposed the present boundary. This was accepted by
the American Government. The treaty was signed at Washington, June 15, 1846.
