The Pig War of 1859: How a Dead Pig Nearly Started a War Between the US and UK
đź“šWhat You Will Learn
- The root causes of the border dispute from the 1846 Oregon Treaty.
- Details of the pig incident and immediate escalations.
- Role of key figures like Pickett, Harney, Douglas, and Scott.
- How the standoff de-escalated and its long-term resolution.
đź“ťSummary
ℹ️Quick Facts
- On June 15, 1859, Lyman Cutlar shot a Hudson's Bay Company pig in his garden, offering $10 compensation but facing a $100 demand.
- Peak forces: 461 Americans with 14 cannons vs. 2,140 British with 70 guns on five warships.
- No human casualties; resolved by diplomacy after 12 years of joint occupation.
đź’ˇKey Takeaways
- A minor pig incident escalated due to unresolved Oregon Treaty border ambiguities.
- Hot-headed leaders like Gen. Harney and Gov. Douglas fueled the crisis, but cooler heads prevailed.
- Diplomacy by Gen. Winfield Scott prevented war amid US Civil War tensions.
- The event highlights how small sparks can ignite international conflicts without clear boundaries.
The San Juan Islands sat in limbo after the 1846 Oregon Treaty failed to define the US-British border, leaving ambiguity over Haro or Rosario Strait. Both nations claimed the islands: Britain via Hudson's Bay Company's sheep farm on San Juan, Americans through settlers invoking the Donation Land Claim Act.
Tensions simmered since 1854, with tax disputes and kidnappings of sheep by US officials, eroding trust between Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens and British Governor James Douglas.
On June 15, 1859—exactly 13 years post-Oregon Treaty—American farmer Lyman Cutlar shot a Hudson's Bay boar rooting in his potato patch. He offered $10 compensation to farm manager Charles Griffin, who demanded $100 and threatened arrest.
Fearing British overreach, 25-29 American settlers requested US Army protection. Gen. William S. Harney sent Capt. George Pickett with 66 soldiers, who planted artillery and vowed to 'make a Bunker Hill of it.'
Britain responded aggressively: Gov. Douglas dispatched three Royal Navy warships under Capt. Geoffrey Hornby to Griffin Bay, cannons aimed at American camps. Forces swelled to 461 US troops with 14 cannons vs. British flotilla of five ships, 70 guns, and 2,140 men by August.
Victoria newspapers and US miners clamored for war, but no blood was shed. Both sides postured amid rising rhetoric.
US President James Buchanan sent Gen. Winfield Scott, a crisis-calming veteran, to negotiate with Douglas. In October 1859, they agreed to joint occupation with token forces of 100 men each—one camp north, one south.
The arrangement held through the US Civil War, delaying resolution until 1872, when arbitration by Kaiser Wilhelm I awarded the islands to the US.
The 'war' produced no human deaths, only a dead pig, symbolizing diplomacy's triumph over bluster. Soldiers even fraternized, competing in feasts.
Preserved at San Juan Island National Historical Park, sites like Robert's Redoubt remind us how close superpowers came to conflict over potatoes and pork.
⚠️Things to Note
- San Juan Islands' control was key for straits like Haro and Rosario.
- British Hudson's Bay Company ran a sheep farm; Americans settled under Donation Land Claim Act.
- Joint occupation lasted until 1872 arbitration awarded islands to the US.
- Today, San Juan Island National Historical Park preserves the sites.