Quilt Notes: A free template with assembly instructions for 54-40 OR FIGHT is available online from McCalls and other sites. The title of the design is derived from the election slogan of 1844 used by President Polk when he campaigned to extend the Oregon Territory to the latitude of 54°40' or go to war -- others say the fight occurred when Polk decided to compromise on the 49th parallel, after he became President.

Instead of the usual red star, with blue squares and white background, the quilt fabrics chosen for this version imitate the diacritical marks used to indicate the latitude -- that is, the tiny degree circle and apostrophe in 54°40' combined with snow white and cool blue to indicate the northern territory. Read more on the 1844 slogan at wikipedia and about.com.