1. British Fort Langley and the
Columbia Oregon Territory

2. Demand for Fur
• In 1670, British investors
form the Hudson’s Bay
Company
• They send ships and
explorers to the new
world in search of furs
• Demand is high for all fur
products, especially the
beaver hat

3. Demand for Fur
• Britain, Spain, Russia, and the United States were all
competing for control of the fur trade
• Despite tension, they never went to war over
territory, but instead negotiated agreements over
land
• By the early 1800s, Spain ended up with California,
and Russia with what is now Alaska
• Britain’s HBC and the Americans were left
competing for the fur trade on the West Coast