As part of the vast Oregon Country, Washington territory was visited
by Spanish, American, and British explorersRival American and British settlers
and conflicting territorial claims threatened war in the early 1840s. However,
in 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the boundary at the 49th parallel and war was
averted.
As the capital of the United States, Washington city hosts the White House
and other important state buildings
Among the major points of interest: Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades
National Parks. Mount St. Helens, a peak in the Cascade Range, erupted in May
1980. Also of interest are Whitman Mission and Fort Vancouver National Historic
Sites; and the Pacific Science Center and the Space Needle, in Seattle.