https://de.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=BencWikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]2025-06-03T09:48:32ZBenutzerbeiträgeMediaWiki 1.45.0-wmf.3https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oregon_Boundary_Dispute&diff=178537277Oregon Boundary Dispute2004-10-10T03:44:46Z<p>Benc: Category:Political slogans</p>
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<div>The phrase '''"Fifty-Four Forty or Fight"''' was a [[political slogan|campaign slogan]] of [[United States| United States]] [[president of the United States|president]]-to-be [[James K. Polk]].<br />
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In the [[Anglo-American Convention of 1818]], the Americans and the [[Britain|British]] chose a joint [[sovereignty]] of what is now the [[Pacific Northwest]] of the United States to the British [[crown colony]] of [[British Columbia]] (now a province of [[Canada]]). The northern boundary of the [[Oregon Territory]] then was the [[Latitude|parallel]] 54°40', with [[Russia | Russian]] claims on [[Alaska]] to the north. By the [[election]] of [[1844]], this [[alliance]] was growing shaky, with Western settlers wanting the land for America.<br />
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Polk was ready to go to war to claim all the land, and quipped the slogan ''"Fifty-four Forty or Fight!"'' to help win election. Fortifications like [[Fort Wayne]] were built along the U.S.-British Columbian border in anticipation of combat. The [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] Polk beat the [[United States Whig Party|Whig]] [[Henry Clay]] 1,337,243 to 1,299,068; the [[U.S. Electoral College|electoral college]] results were Polk 170 votes versus 105 for Clay.<br />
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The argument was settled diplomatically, with the [[Oregon Treaty]] of [[1846]]. The border was set the [[49th parallel]], which still marks much of the border between the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].<br />
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The Canadian [[rock band]] [[54-40]] takes their name from this slogan.<br />
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==External links and references==<br />
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*[http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa031600a.htm Geography page on ''Fifty-Four Forty or Fight'']<br />
*[http://www.fiftyfourfortyorfight.com/ fiftyfourfortyorfight.com]<br />
*[http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0818656.html infoplease.com on ''Fifty-Four Forty or Fight'']<br />
*[http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/F/Fiftyfou.asp encyclopedia.com on ''Fifty-Four Forty or Fight'']<br />
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[[Category:Political slogans]]<br />
[[Category:U.S. history of territorial expansion]]<br />
[[Category:Canada and the United States]]</div>Benc