1846 USA Senator DIckinson's speech on ‘The Oregon Question’

Speech by Democratic Senator Hon. Daniel S. Dickinson of New York on February 24^th 1846. This was his best known speech.

The Oregon Question was the diplomatic and political dispute between the United States and Great Britain over sovereignty in the Oregon Country—a vast region including present‑day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia.

SPEECH
of
HON. DANIEL S. DICKINSON
OF NEW YORK

on

THE OREGON QUESTION

delivered
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1846

WASHINGTON
Printed at the Office of Blair and Rives
1846

2 horizontal folds
15 pages
9 ½  x 6 ¼”

Daniel Stevens Dickinson (1800–1866) was an active Democratic U.S. Senator from New York in 1846, serving in the 29th Congress. His term ran from November 30, 1844 to March 3, 1851, so 1846 places him early in his Senate career, during one of the most consequential legislative years of the decade.

1846 was a year dominated by two major national issues:

1. The Oregon Question

Dickinson delivered one of his best‑known speeches in 1846:

• Speech on the Oregon Question
• Delivered during debates on whether the U.S. should give notice to Britain to end joint occupation of the Oregon Territory
• He supported issuing the 12‑month notice, advocating a firm but peaceful assertion of American rights
• His position aligned with mainstream Democratic expansionism but avoided the extreme “54°40′ or Fight” rhetoric

2. Mexican‑American War Begins (April 1846)

Dickinson was part of the Democratic majority that supported:

• Recognition of the war
• Funding for military operations
• Territorial negotiations that would later lead to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

In this year he was:

• A rising Democratic voice
• A consistent supporter of national expansion
• A constitutionalist emphasizing Congress’s authority in territorial matters
• A New York senator balancing Northern concerns with national Democratic priorities