History of Oregon

The history of Oregon, a U.S. state, may be considered in five eras: geologic history, inhabitation by native peoples, early exploration by Europeans (primarily fur traders), settlement by pioneers, and modern development.

The term "Oregon" may refer to:

• Oregon Country (1818-1846), a large region in the Pacific Northwest and western North America explored, settled and temporarily jointly occupied by both Americans and the British (and generally known to Canadians as the Columbia District, prior to the formation of the Colony of British Columbia later becoming a western province in the Canadian Confederation in 1867 of the Dominion of Canada;

• Oregon Territory (1848-1853/1859), established by the United States Congress and approved by the President, two years after its sovereignty over the southern portion of the region was established by the Oregon Treaty of June 1846, splitting the earlier Oregon Country with the northern portion going to Great Britain / future Canada. The northern and eastern portions were separated in 1853, becoming the new Washington Territory (up to its 42nd statehood as Washington state in 1889), and subsequently the eastern portion also separated a decade later becoming the Idaho Territory (1863-1890),then becoming the 43rd state of Idaho in 1890.

• Oregon, a current U.S. state since the previous Oregon Territory (1848-1859) with its admission to the federal Union as the 33rd state in February 1859

The history of Oregon, and of the Pacific Northwest region, has received relatively less attention from historians, as compared to other regions of the American far west.