facade. 1  Architecture. the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one. 2  a superficial appearance or illusion of something: They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.
The Oregon Territory stretched from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains, encompassing the area including present-day Oregon, Washington, and most of British Columbia. Originally Spain, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States claimed the territory. In 1819, under terms of the Transcontinental Treaty, Spain ceded its claims to the territory to the United States. Shortly thereafter the United States contested a unilateral Russian move to grant its citizens a fishing, whaling, and commercial monopoly from the Bering Straits to the 51st parallel.
In 1846, the United States and Great Britain signed the Oregon Treaty. In this treaty, Oregon Country was split with the U.S. gaining sole possession of the territory south of the 49th parallel, and Great Britain gaining sole possession of the land to the north.10.In 1853, the United States sent diplomat James Gadsden to Mexico to renegotiate the border between the U.S. and Mexico.. From 1818 to 1846, the United States and Great Britain administered the territory in Oregon together. This was a compromise until both countries could agree on how to divide the land between them.