Seal of the Oregon Territory.

The Territory of Oregon was organized on August 14, 1848, by an act of Congress out of the U.S. portion of the Oregon Country below the 49th parallel north. It originally included all of the present-day states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, as well as Montana west of the Continental Divide, and Wyoming west of the Continental Divide and north of the 42nd parallel north, the boundary of the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819.

The first territorial capital was Oregon City from 1848 to 1851, followed by Salem from 1851 to 1855. Corvallis served briefly as the capital in 1855, followed by a permanent return to Salem later that year.

In 1853, the portion of the territory north of the lower Columbia River and north of the 46th parallel east of the river was organized into the Washington Territory.

On February 14, 1859, the territory entered the Union as the U.S. state of Oregon within its current boundaries. The remaining eastern portion of the territory (the portions in present-day southern Idaho and western Wyoming) was added to the Washington Territory.

In 1861 and then 1863, portions to the east were organized into the Nebraska Territory and Idaho Territory (respectively.)

<gallery> Image:Wpdms_oregon_territory_1848.png|Oregon Territory, as originally organized, in 1848 Image:Wpdms_oregon_washington_territories_1853.png|Oregon Territory (blue) with Washington Territory (green) in 1853 Image:Wpdms_oregon_washington_territory_1859.png|State of Oregon (blue) with Washington Territory (green) in 1859 </gallery>

See also

• Oregon Country
• Oregon Treaty
• Oregon boundary dispute
• Holmes v. Ford
• Oregon Territorial Legislature

References

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