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Polk's uncompromising pursuit of Texas, an acquisition seen favorable for Southern slave owners, angered many advocates of 54°40′, as the President was a Southerner and a slave owner. As historian David M. Pletcher noted, "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight" seemed to be directed at the southern aristocracy in the U.S. as much as at the United Kingdom.
Learn how the slogan \"54° 40' or fight\" helped James K. Polk win the 1844 presidential election and led to the Oregon Treaty of 1846. Explore the maps, diaries, and images of the Oregon Trail and the Oregon Territory.
Feb 13, 2018 · Learn how the United States and Britain divided the Oregon Territory in 1846, after a campaign slogan of \"Fifty-Four Forty or Fight\" by President James K. Polk. The boundary still exists today and includes the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
- Matt Rosenberg
Nov 21, 2023 · Learn about the origin and meaning of the 54-40 or Fight slogan, which was a rallying cry for American expansionism in the 19th century. See a map of the proposed border between the US and Britain in the Pacific Northwest and the impact of the Louisiana Purchase.
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Learn how the United States and Great Britain disputed the ownership of the Pacific Northwest in the 1840s, and how President Polk sought to expand the nation's territory by force. Explore the causes and effects of westward expansion, sectionalism, and Manifest Destiny.
Other articles where Fifty-four Forty or Fight is discussed: James K. Polk: Early life and career: …54°40′ with the campaign slogan “Fifty-four forty or fight.” His election was close, but it was decisive—a popular plurality of about 38,000 votes and 170 electoral votes against 105 for Clay.
Apr 5, 2010 · Manifest Destiny was the idea that the United States was destined to expand across North America and spread democracy and capitalism. It influenced U.S. territorial expansion, slavery, Native American wars and the Civil War.
