We see that javascript is disabled or not supported by your browser - javascript is needed for important actions on the site. Read more

What's New - Home - Login

Member $avings: $81,756,951.87 | Books Available: 728,095 | Members Online: 234

Swap Used Books - Buy New Books at Great Prices!

How To Swap Books Sign Up Search submenu

PBS Market (New Books)

Gift Buying Guide

Book Browser Advanced Search Books Posted Today Member Book Reviews Award Winning Books NYT Best Sellers Amazon Best Sellers Most Traveled Copies Club Wish List

Discussion Forums Book Lists

Club Lists My Book Lists My Watched Lists Create a List

Blog Donations

School Donation Program In Memory of... Military Donation Program Friends of PBS

Box-O-Books Maps The Eclectic Pen Fun Stuff

20 Questions Sudoku Bookmark Creator

Top 100

Requests Posts Swappers Referrers Reviewers

Pulse of PBS Spread The Word

Invite Friends Bookmarks Facebook Page Facebook App More Ways...

Photo Gallery Recipes Club Tag Cloud Member Testimonials

Help Center submenu

How To Swap Books Browse Help Docs Ask the Librarian PBS Member Icons Live Help

Kiosk

PBS Market (New Books) Go Shopping Buy Credits Buy PBS Money Upgrade Membership Gift Certificates Transfer Credits

Need Help?

Search - The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay

The Pig War Standoff at Griffin Bay
Author: Michael Vouri, Michael P. Vouri

On July 27, 1859, U.S. Army Capt. George E. Pickett’s Company D, 9th Infantry had arrived on San Juan Island with a mission to protect United States citizens from the British government on Vancouver Island. The reason? An American settler had shot a pig belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Everyone overreacted, particularly U.S. D... more »epartment of Oregon commander, Brigadier General William S. Harney, who had issued Pickett his orders. Thus began the "San Juan Imbroglio" of 1859, better known today as the "Pig War." The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay explores how this incident nearly touched off a war between Great Britain and United States Obviously, more was involved than just a dead pig. For nearly 50 years, the two nations had been contending over the international boundary in the Oregon Country, a vast expanse of land consisting of the present states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, portions of Montana and Wyoming and the province of British Columbia. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 had given the United States undisputed possession of the Pacific Northwest south of the 49th parallel, extending the boundary to the "middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s Island; and thence southerly through the middle of said channel and of Fuca’s straits to the Pacific Ocean." But while the treaty settled the larger boundary question, it created additional problems because its wording left unclear who owned San Juan Island. As Mr. Vouri points out, the difficulty arose over treaty language that referred to the boundary as the "middle of the channel." There were actually two channels, Haro Strait nearest Vancouver Island, and Rosario Strait, nearer the mainland. San Juan island lies between the two. Britain insisted on the Rosario Strait; the U.S., Haro Strait. Thus, both sides claimed San Juan Island. To solidify the British claim, the Hudson’s Bay Company occupied the southern end of San Juan, first with a salmon-salting station in 1850, followed by a sheep ranch -- Bellevue Farm -- three years later. The Americans, meanwhile, declared the island within the limits of first Oregon (1848) then Washington Territory (1853). By 1859, about 18 Americans had settled on San Juan Island in anticipation of official American possession. The British did not recognize their rights. The U.S. did. Neither group acknowledged the jurisdiction or taxing authority of the other. Tempers grew short. And Charles Griffins black Berkshire boar wandered into Lyman Cutlar's potato patch. Soon 500 soldiers would occupy San Juan, their presence monitored and threatened by three warships of the Royal Navy. It would require 12 years and binding arbitration before the issue was settled. Mr. Vouri utilizes official documents, newspaper accounts, letters and period photographs to spin his yarn about one of the most intriguing footnotes in North American history.

ISBN-13: 9780963456250
ISBN-10: 0963456253
Publication Date: 5/15/1999
Pages: 273
Rating:

Currently 2.8/5 Stars.

2.8 stars, based on 2 ratings

Publisher: Griffin Bay
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Back to the Top ↑

Search - The Pig War: Standoff at Griffin Bay

Loading...