A well-known restaurant in Prince George is named North 54. The name comes from 54 degrees north of latitude, which lies a few kilometres to the north of Prince George (the city is at 53 55 1 N). A few more kilometres north is 54 40' which played a major role in the history of early British Columbia.
Had things turned out differently 54 40' might have been the northern border of the United States west of the Rockies.
Through most of the 1800s, the United States and Great Britian were sworn enemies. They had twice gone to war and would come very close to another during the American Civil War (of which more shall be said in a future article).
In the first American constitution, now called the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union," was the first constitution of the United States. It was drafted by the Second Continental Congress and provided that: "If Canada accedes to this confederation, it will be admitted."
No other colony could be admitted without the consent of nine states. Canada (then British North America or Quebec) was given the right to become part of the United States whenever it wished, Uncle Sam's tweeking of the Lion's tail.
In the early 1800s, the West Coast had vague claims of ownership by Spain, Russia, and United Kingdom based upon limited exploration and fur trading posts; the United States as yet had no Pacific Coast claims - its western boundary ended miles to the east, the western border of the Louisiana Purchase from France. There were virtually no European settlements north of Mexico.
Not yet a major power, the United States had dreams of grandure. These dreams came to be known as "manifest destiny." This concept has varied overtime but it then held that all of North America north of Spanish Mexico (even grander versions included more territory) should become American territory; Canada would shed the British yoke and cheerfully join when it realized the error of its ways.
So would Texas, independent since 1836, if Congress could finally agree on if the new state would be slave or free. The unknown west would be absorbed through settlement and most certainly not by force - that would be contrary to American values. But this was just a dream...
Things started to move under Presidents Tyler and his successor, a brash upstart named James Polk. Tyler managed to convince Congress to accept the Texas request to join the Union after a long political battle. Polk, an underdog in the election of 1844, had campaigned strongly for the expansion of United States territory setting stars of greatness in the eyes of voters. His win was as much of a surprise as Trump's.
In the south, he wanted California and other property from the Republic of Mexico. By deliberately prompting a war with Mexico which the United States quickly won, he succeeded in adding the southwestern states and California. In the eventual treaty, the U.S. "bought" the new territory from Mexico to avoid the stigma of having gained territory by force. The United States now had a Pacific coastline that ran from Mexico to California's northern border.
To the north, Polk had his eye on what was then known as the Oregon Territory, (now Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia). Under his campaign promise of "54 40' or Fight" Polk wanted all of the territory up to the border with Russian America (Alaska as we know it now) that had been determined in earlier treaties. Polk was beating the drums of war with Britain if he and his supporters did not get what he wanted. Both sides started to mobilize for the coming conflict.
For years, the Oregon Territory had been under the joint "control" of both the U.S. and Britain and home to First Nations peoples and a very small number of furtraders (If this is confusing now it was worse then!).
During the days of the Oregon Trail, large numbers of Americans had move to the territory, settling south of the Columbia River in what is now Oregon. This set off a series of minor confrontations between themselves and the Hudson's Bay fur traders who were north of the river. (This followed the manner of continental American territorial gains - first have Americans settle in a territory claimed by others and then, when the numbers are large enough, the settlers can revolt and demand to join the U.S.).
Polk may have had his war over the Oregon Territory but had bitten off more than he could chew. Having started a war with Mexico, the last thing the Republic needed was another simultaneous war with Britain. Fine to wave swords in the air, but an actual war?
Even though pressured by his fellow Democrats not to do so, Polk offered to extend the border from the Rockies to the Pacific along the 49th Parallel, an offer the British quickly refused. They wanted the border to be at North 42, the northern boundary of Mexico and, after the Mexican-American War, the northern border of California. If they could not get all of the present states of Washington and Oregon, the Columbia River was to become the border. The British had second thoughts thoughts and accepted Polk's first offer. Push coming to shove, the British did not need yet another war with the U.S. After all, the land was deemed next to useless save for furs and Americans in the Oregon Territory outnumbered the British six to one.
In the end, with adjustments for Vancouver Island, the two agreed to extend the 49th Parallel boundary to the Pacific. The British fur trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River was relocated to where the City of Victoria now stands.
Prince George was nothing more than a fur trading post as all this was evolving, part of New Caledonia under the Hudson's Bay Company's jurisdiction; Fort St. James was the headquarters but also south of the northern most American claim. The treaty with Polk did not settle all disagreements - the Pig Island War would follow in a few years. Nor was this the last time that the United States would try to add British Columbia - as distinct from all of Canada - to the Union.
The "fickle finger of fate" is always present in history. "If X had not happened or did happen, then Y would have followed", a question that forms the basis of "alternative history" novels, is a great way to start a debate amongst those with an interest in history.
What if Polk had persisted and 54 40' became the border? Left with only a tiny outlet to the Pacific, would Canada have ever come into being? Would Canada now be part of the United States? Would you and I be amongst those who voted for or against Trump?
That is part of the fun side of history often ignored by those who teach it - one reason why so many students find history dull and boring.
