What is the 49th parallel? Definition: The 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States. The word 'parallel' refers to an imaginary line that represents degrees of latitude that encircle the earth parallel to the plane of the equator. The 49th parallel is used as an informal name for the Canadian border with the USA, which is marked out by the parallel line of latitude at 49°N. as shown in the picture below.

After the US acquired theLouisiana Purchase in 1803, a boundary was agreed between the new lands and Rupert's Land (British Lands in North America). The boundary was along the watershed between the Missouri River and Mississippi River basins on one side and the Hudson Bay basin on the other. However, it is difficult to precisely determine the location of a dividing line in a region of level plains, such as in central North America. The British and Americans had concluded a successful meeting in 1817 with theRush-Bagot Treaty and the scene was set to meet again at the Convention of 1818.
The Convention of 1818 was held in the October of that year and the Treaty of 1818 was signed on October 20, 1818. Ratifications were exchanged on January 30, 1819. The negotiations at the Convention of 1818 were conducted by Albert Gallatin and Richard Rush on behalf of the Monroe administration and Frederick John Robinson and Henry Goulburn on behalf of Great Britain. The Convention of 1818 was held in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The official name of the treaty was The Convention Respecting Fisheries, Boundary and the Restoration of Slaves Between The United States of America and The Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The reference to slaves was due to American claims that the British still held some slaves on British ships or territories after the War of 1812 had ended and contravened the terms of the peaceTreaty of Ghent . The Americans were demanding either the return of these slaves or compensation for them. There were six articles to the Treaty of 1818: The Significance of the Convention of 1818 and the 49th parallel was that: The agreements made during the Convention of 1818 and the setting of the 49th parallel were indefinitely extended in 1827. However, by the middle 1840s the political policies of Great Britain and America had changed. U.S. immigration had increased and America wanted to claim the entire territory. This led to a renegotiation of the agreements made in the Convention of 1818. The1846 Oregon Treaty permanently established the 49th parallel as the boundary between the United States and British North America to the Pacific Ocean and heralded the westward migration of many settlers along theOregon Trail. The next issue was The info about the Convention of 1818 and the 49th parallel provides interesting facts and important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the 5th President of the United States of America. The article on the Convention of 1818 and the 49th parallel provides an overview of one of the Important issues of his presidential term in office. The following James Monroe video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 5th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1817 to March 4, 1825. |