Stuff You Missed in History Class SYMHC Classics: Pig War
Mar 30, 2024
Discover the absurdity of the Pig War in 1859 where a Canadian pig shooting almost led to war between the US and Britain. Learn about the escalating tensions on San Juan Island, military strategies, and the eventual diplomatic resolution through the Treaty of Washington.
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Settler Shot A British Company's Pig
- Lyman Cutler shot a Hudson's Bay Company boar that was rooting through his unfenced potato patch on June 15, 1859, igniting the Pig War dispute.
- Cutler refused to pay Griffin's $100 demand, sparking escalation between local settlers and the British-owned sheep farm.
Vague Border Wording Caused The Dispute
- Ambiguous Treaty language about the 49th parallel and "middle of the channel" left the San Juan Islands contested between the United States and Britain.
- The treaty's failure to name which channel (Haro vs Rosario) created overlapping claims that made the islands ripe for conflict.
Hudson's Bay Company's Big Sheep Farm
- The Hudson's Bay Company ran a 5,000-sheep farm called Bell View on San Juan Island and saw American settlers as squatters when they began staking claims.
- Incidents like a U.S. customs collector trying to seize sheep and demands for $15,000 in damages foreshadowed rising tensions.