Why did Britain give up Oregon? (Short Animated Documentary)

Britain once held condominium of what's now Oregon, Idaho and Washington State with the United States and during a time of diplomatic strength, simply handed it over without any compensation. So why did the United Kingdom do this when it could have got something in return or at least given less? To find out watch this short and simple animated history documentary.

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[mrterp]

“In return the Americans sent people. Lots of people”
Sign: “At least six”
Wow. That’s a lot of people

[r.a.acosta]

This was incredibly informative. The U.S. gaining ownership over the Northwestern Oregon territories kind of always got glossed over in school or packaged together alongside the U.S. gaining California and most of the Western territories in the Mexican-American War.

Spain and Russia claiming ownership of it, despite hardly being able to defend the claim, is also hilarious. Kind of crazy that the British didn't at least get a monetary payout for the land, but the Russians did.

[HeadCannon]

Honestly my main takeaway from this is why it's called British Columbia. I had never really thought about it, but it makes sense that if they called all of Oregon territory Columbia, then the northern half after the partition would the British half of Columbia, hence British Columbia

[perceivedvelocity]

I grew up in Washington State. In school I took a Washington State history class. You explained this situation a lot better than my Washington State history class ever did. It only took you three and a half minutes. Hahaha.

[prodigymapping]

It was nice of Britain to be an Oregon donor to the United States.

[unionofslavstanrepublics]

James Bissonette was a talented negotiator and made a very good offer to the UK.

[jyrki]

As a guy who worked for a while in British Columbia tourism, I appreciate the “home to not Vancouver” joke since we routinely had to explain this to many Canadians, let alone foreigners.

[akula]

Logistically it would be a nightmare to supply in a conflict. Either a lengthy voyage around the cape, or a long overland trek.

[Maverick]

I love how there is a little easter egg mention of the Free City of Krakow, basically the closest thing to a Polish state after the Napoleonic Wars. It did cease to exist around the same time as the British cession of Oregon in the Oregon Treaty in 1846. So props to History Matters on this reference.

[johnlienhart]

In class, the way the (elementary) teachers taught this event implied that there was much more formal agreement that prompted the Oregon trail, an outright competition to get settlers to the land to decide who got it.
I couldn't find anything when I looked it up later, so between that and it being elementary school, I gathered that they changed a few details to tell a story more suitable for kids my age.

[StockworthChanning]

There was a roughly 4-month long bloodless conflict called "The Pig War" over part of the archipelago that exists between Vancouver Island and the mainland, too.

Enjoyed watching this here on the little bit of this Island that would have gone to the States if the land border was followed.

[AllyStrikesBack]

The Americans keep coming & they didn't stop coming, hopped in their wagons & they hit the ground running, didn't make sense to keep sharing Oregon when they outnumbered Brits by 6 to 1.

[princesskyrie]

Loving the little touches on the state flags, especially "Dysentery" in the Oregon seal.

[markmarano]

0:33 has to be the most brilliant interpretation of "Go West, Young Man" that anyone has ever seen. I don't know how you do it, but your visual gags just get better and better!

[danielhale]

This video supplements what I learned from Oversimplified's Pig War video, and I enjoyed both!
Despite the jokes and quick pace through the history, I learn more from these videos than most history classes ever even tried to teach. Genuine love of history makes a better teacher than having to prepare students to fill out a scantron with trivia answers. I really appreciate the attention to these small issues that normally either get glossed over, ignored, covered up, or taught inaccurately. You have a fantastic channel, sir!

[bernadmanny]

I have been wondering this question for years. I think Britain could have gotten a somewhat better deal if they had put in 2% more effort.

[tmorganriley]

Though by resolving their mutual quarrels, Britain ultimately got the Anglo-American alliance, which proved invaluable to them in the 20th century. So I think it worked out for them in the long run.

[emmettmasterson]

This explains this better in 3 minutes than a washington state history class in 180+ hours

[SamAronow]

@0:09 The Russians also had a colony at Fort Ross in California all the way until 1842. Officially it was part of Russian America (Alaska), and under their flag Aleut whalers established seasonal settlements on the Channel Islands off Los Angeles (where their diseases wiped out the local Kizh islanders).

[mediumeffort]

As someone who was born and raised in Oregon this was fascinating, thank you.