John Jacob Astor's plan for gaining control…

John Jacob Astor's plan for gaining control of the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest has established the first United States settlement on the Pacific coast, but the accomplishment is short lived.

During the War of 1812, the Pacific Northwest is a distant region of the conflict.

Prior to the war, both the Montreal-based North West Company (NWC) and Astor's Pacific Fur Company (PFC) had operated in the region peaceably with each other.

Both the Americans and the British subjects in the jointly occupied Oregon Country are apprehensive that a ship from the other side should arrive and seize their property as a spoil of war.

News of a coming British warship has put the American company into a difficult position.

In October 1813, management meets at Fort Astoria and agrees to sell the fort and all the concern’s property in the Oregon Country to the NWC.