CHAPTER II


 THE BORDERLANDS, 1810-1816
 TEBBrTOBIAL CoxPLzrriU a
 A NGo TE PA-FLUNG DIPLOMATI BrTTLB UMIN lay four great
 A regions of international rivalry for occupation: the Flori-
 das, Louisiana and Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon. Al-
though the interest of the nations was at first largely focused at
the eastern end, it gradually became more evenly balanced to in-
clude the whole frontier. Thus in the final weeks of the treaty
negotiations in 1819, with the cession of the Floridas having been
conceded within the councils of the respective protagonists for at
least a quarter-century, the Oregon-California boundary was the
subject of dispute on which Adams risked the whole agreement.
 The fact that these regions were areas of rivalry in exploitation,
and were not mere names on the map, is of fundamental signifi-
cance. The purpose of this chapter is to consider the magnitude
of that exploitation, and in doing so to give meaning to the various
geographical terms employed. It is also essential to observe wherein
lay the territorial claims of the two countries to the regions which
were covered by the treaty negotiations.
 The United States in 1816, when direct negotiations were re-
sumed with Spain, was a republic of eighteen states and a vast par-
tially undefined public domain. She had gone through a war with
little military glory, but had at least maintained her ground,
territorially speaking. The northern limit east of the Lake of the
Woods had been long established, except for a disputed interpre-
tation of the Maine boundary. The northern boundary of the
Louisiana Purchase was in litigation between the United States
and England, but it was not a matter vitalized by any wave of
settlement.
 Along the southern and western frontier, however, lay the pos-
 sessions of Spain, a monarchy now so weakened by civil war at
 home and by rebellion flaming through her huge American domain
 that she appeared to offer little effective hindrance to this country's
 aspirations, which were rapidly developing into the spirit of "Man-
 ifest Destiny." The manner in which Spain notably delayed that
 expansion, and forced concessions in making a treaty, did her
 [29]