54-40 or Fight

54-40 or Fight by Emerson Hough is a historical novel set during the mid-19th century, focusing on the intense political struggle between the United States and Britain over the Oregon Territory. The novel takes its title from the popular expansionist slogan, capturing the spirit of Manifest Destiny. Hough blends romance, adventure, and political intrigue, dramatizing the events surrounding the border dispute and offering a vivid portrayal of American frontier life.

Emerson Hough (1857-1923) was an American author best known for writing western stories and historical novels. Hough began a trilogy on America when he published 54-40 or Fight in 1909, dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt. He dedicated the second volume, Purchase Price, to U.S. Senator Albert Beveridge of Indiana in 1910 and the third, John Rawn, to Woodrow Wilson in 1912.