Congress creates Oregon Territory, stretching from California's border to Canada

For years, Congress had ignored the Willamette Valley settlers who governed themselves without federal backing. On August 14, 1848, that changed: lawmakers passed the Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Oregon, bringing the region under formal U.S. administration for the first time. The new territory stretched from the 42nd parallel to the 49th, covering present-day Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, plus parts of Montana and Wyoming. Oregon City, a small mill town near the Willamette Falls, became its first capital…