Pig War: The war that wasn’t

In 1859, a boundary dispute on the U.S.-Canada border almost escalated into a full-scale conflict, all because of a pig. Imagine, two countries—already on edge from tense diplomatic relations—teetering on the brink of war over the fate of a single animal.

The incident took place on the San Juan Islands, a disputed territory in the Pacific Northwest, where the U.S. and British territories met. This was during a time when the two nations were already in the midst of navigating competing claims over the region, setting the stage for a truly unusual diplomatic standoff.

Historical context

In 1846, the Oregon Treaty was signed, dividing the territory along the 49th parallel. However, the treaty did not explicitly mention the San Juan Islands, leaving their ownership ambiguous. This lack of clarity led both the United States and the United Kingdom to interpret the boundary differently, with each claiming the islands as their own. This unresolved issue sowed the seeds of tension, escalating disputes over sovereignty and setting the stage for the conflict that would follow.

Strategic importance of the San Juan Islands

• For the United States, the islands were seen as a potential strategic military outpost and a key to securing their influence in the Pacific Northwest.
• For the United Kingdom, the islands held value as part of British Columbia’s maritime routes and economic activities, particularly for the Hudson’s Bay Company, which used the islands for sheep grazing.

The incident

The flashpoint of the conflict came on June 15, 1859, when American farmer Lyman Cutlar shot a pig that had wandered onto his property and was eating his crops. The pig belonged to Charles Griffin, a British subject managing the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Belle Vue Sheep Farm. While anecdotal accounts suggest a humorous exchange between the two, the deeper issue lay in 19th-century farm norms, which held Cutlar responsible for keeping free-ranging livestock off his land. Seeking to make amends, Cutlar offered reparations, but Griffin demanded an exorbitant $100 for the pig, intensifying the dispute.

Beyond this incident, tensions between American settlers and the Hudson’s Bay Company, which represented British interests, were already high. Disputes over land use and governance had created a simmering conflict that the pig’s death brought to a boil, turning a local disagreement into an international standoff.

A photograph of Belle Vue Sheep Farm Sep 1859 on San Juan Island circa the Pig War

British authorities on Vancouver Island backed Griffin, seeing this as an opportunity to assert their claim to the San Juan Islands. American settlers supported Cutlar, viewing the incident as symbolic of their rights to the land. Calls for justice and sovereignty over the islands transformed a minor agricultural dispute into a brewing international crisis.

This seemingly trivial incident exposed the underlying tensions between the two nations, bringing the boundary dispute to the forefront and setting the stage for military involvement.

Escalation of the dispute

As tensions mounted, both sides began to mobilise forces. The U.S. Army sent Captain George Pickett and a small detachment of soldiers to the San Juan Islands in July 1859 to protect American settlers and assert their claim to the region. In response, the British deployed three warships to patrol the waters around the islands, signalling their readiness to protect British interests. By August 1859, the standoff had intensified, with the U.S. reinforcing its position by stationing nearly 500 soldiers on the island. The British, in turn, amassed a naval force of five warships with over 2,000 sailors and marines on standby.

Despite this military build up, neither side engaged in combat, underscoring the absurdity of the situation. The restraint displayed by both nations highlighted the fundamental lack of will to escalate the dispute into full-scale war, paving the way for the eventual diplomatic resolution that followed.

Resolution and arbitration

The standoff persisted for over a decade, with American and British forces maintaining peaceful co-occupation of the San Juan Islands. In 1872, the dispute was referred to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany for arbitration, marking one of the earliest significant uses of neutral arbitration in resolving an international conflict. After thoroughly reviewing the arguments from both sides, Kaiser Wilhelm I ruled in favour of the United States, establishing the boundary through the Haro Strait and awarding the San Juan Islands to the U.S.

British troops evacuate English Camp on San Juan Island, Washington Territory, in 1872, following resolution of boundary dispute by arbitration. Restored version of the file “San Juan Island, Washington Terr, 1872”

This decision not only peacefully ended the long-standing dispute but also set a precedent for using neutral arbitration as a means to resolve international disagreements, demonstrating the power of diplomacy over military conflict. British forces withdrew without incident, and the San Juan Islands officially became part of what is now Washington State.

Legacy and modern relevance

Today, the legacy of the Pig War is preserved at the San Juan Island National Historical Park, which commemorates the sites where both American and British camps were located during the standoff. The park serves as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where two nations that once stood on the brink of war found a way to resolve their differences diplomatically. It stands as a reminder of how diplomacy can triumph over conflict, even in the most unexpected of circumstances.

This statue by Robert MacDonald honours the potato-stealing pig that sparked the Pig War.