East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-09-25
(By Joseph schafer. Department OF

History, University OF Oregon.)
The treaty Of peace with Great Bri
tain, In 1898. at the close OF the Revo
iutionar'y war. secured to the Unite
States as their western boundary tn
Mississippi river (which was suppose,
TO rise at least as far north as tn
Lake OF the Woods. to which tn
northern boundary was drawn fron
Lake Superior. At that time all Yves
OF the Alleghenies was wilderness
roamed over by Wild beasts. and occu
pied In part by native Indians. Oni,
two small districts between the noun
tains and the Great River were In pos.
session OF white people. These were
In whatis now Kentucky, where Daniel
Boone and his fellow frontlersmen set.
tied Just before the outbreak OF the
war. and In eastern Tennessee, where
others from North Carolina and Vir-
ginia had made their homes about the
same time. As yet, there were few
settlers In the Ohio country. but there
were some plans among New England
people to occupy lands north of the
Ohio river. The vast regions west
OF the Mississippi to the Rocky noun
tains and beyond to the Pacific. were
practically unknown except for the
l.
whose wanderings led him far beyond
the borders OF civilization among the
remoter Indian tribes.
The country From tho nise,ss,nn,
u,es,r.a "a 10 ,ha pock,, ,,o,,n,.Ins h.d
onca he,onged ~ Era,co hoca,.o i.
early a. 1ses ,ha .roa, rrrench cxn,or-
Or IL caiIc ma DARED do.n ~.
Mis-,.st.., "a r.a,,. a.. r,t,.,, g.. .,.iI
hoa,, "a 80 ,aLo, f,,.,,,at ,,,,.as,
s,or =, ,ha co,,,,, -, drsirad ~, ~.
Mtsst..,,n,,, "a IN. hranchn. q, ,ha
49,. ~ ,,,i, X. Eo,,r,aa,,,, ,rna
E,r.n,.r c,air,, =, ns,,,,.,a s.x,a,aos ,,.r,
cas, ~ ~. W,s.,ss,,,,ls,,, H. rra,, :,
az. .,,.ah.,.., ~.a,.s.ai.s
io seven ears war wnlch oroke
OUT oct"een england ana france IN
i.es' ana was conciuded In ihe treaty
OF raris ~ i'es' nade Nast changes IN
tue o"hersnip OF the North american
cohtihenL Hnsiapa Nas coihpietey
successful pract,raiiy uriving the
french from Anierica she secured
possession oi Canada ana aiso ,he re-
gion once claimed by france east OF
tne Mississippi river. Inc French
about The same time ceded their terri
tory west OF the Aiississippi % spain
~'>'o e'fS ~e'sNf
untl the Revolutionary war closed.
Then the territory east OF the Mississ-
ippi became the United States. as we
have seen.
The Louisiana Purchase
After the treay' Of 1853. the name
Louisiana, once applied to all territory
between the Aiieghet,ies and the
Rockies. came TO DO applied exclusive
~ to the territory west OF the Mississ-
ippi To the crest OF the Rocky noun
tains. This territory was nominally In
the hands OF spain, but II was used by
the people OF that nation. During the
time that Napoleon controlled the gov
pf France he induced spain
10 restore Louisiana to France, Tor ne
At that Time had some thougnt OF
coionizing the country Thee transfer
was made In october, 1900. BY the
opening OF the year 1903. Napoleon,
having abandoned ms notion OF pant ,
ing colonies In louisiana and becom-
ing hard pressed for funds with which
10 carry on his wars. was prepared TO
sell the territory and in April. 1so3'
he whole vast region passed to the
American government Tor tne insism-
'icant sum OF ABOUT sie.oVV'VVV.vv.
The LEWIS and eihrh H1hpeaon
InomaS Jetie1soh was pics,uene Va
he United states when TINS purchase
was made. and to MN more than 10
my other man, except Napoleon. is que !
he fact that Louisiana was added TO !,
he United states. JEFFERSON had iong
,een interested In the country west OF
he Allegheny mountains. ana as carry
Is 1888. before the treaty with Great
8ritain was ratiied. ne sugses.eu 70 !,
jeorge Rogers Clark an exploring ex-
,edition from the Mississippi river 10 =
he Pacific Ocean. Jefferson had also =
'ntered upon other plans which prom :
sed to afford information concerning
he western half OF North america.
MI OF these proved fruitiess. Snortiy 9
,efore the purchase OF Louisiana now y
'ver, he proposed to the United states
congress the fitting out OF an expeoi-
ion headed by army officers VINO
hould traverse the iine OF the mis- :, .
ouri river, find their way 10 the neaus :,
Il other rivers flowing westward OF
and by exploring tnese
discover the most practicaoie rou'e !
or commerce to the Pacific ocean.
Captain Merrlwether Lewis ana cap