In 1818, the United States and Britain set a joint claim over the Oregon Territory, this was also the region known as the west of the Rocky Mountains. Fifty-Four Forty refers to the line of latitude that served as the northern most boundary of Oregon at 54°40'. In 1884, the democratic party nominated an unfamiliar candidate in the presidential election by the name of James K. Polk. In his opposition was a very well known politically acclaimed figure, Henry Clay. Despite the odds stacked against him, he was and excellent strategist and realized that the idea of manifest destiny and the public's view towards expansion would be the key to his success. Polk called for the expansion of not only the entire Oregon Territory but also Texas and California.