Political reasons why settlers went to the Oregon country?

* Manifest Destiny: The belief that the United States was destined to expand its territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

* National security: Oregon would provide a buffer zone between the United States and Russian America.

* Economic opportunity: Oregon's abundance of natural resources promised a prosperous future for those who settled there.

* Land acquisition: Settlers who moved to Oregon before it became a state could claim land under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850. This act granted up to 320 acres of land to male citizens over the age of 18 and female citizens over the age of 21 who agreed to live on and improve the land for four years.

* Political power: As more settlers moved to Oregon, they demanded increased political representation. Oregon would not become a state until 1859, but settlers were able to elect a territorial legislature and delegate to Congress in the meantime.