The Pig War: How a Single Shot Almost Started a War
A minor dispute over a pig on San Juan Island spiraled into an international standoff between the United States and Great Britain in 1859.
The San Juan Island imbroglio, often called the 'Pig War,' began with a series of misunderstandings between American settlers and the Hudson Bay Company. Tensions peaked when an American, Lyman A. Cutlar, shot an imported boar belonging to the Hudson Bay Company that was trespassing on his land. When the company threatened to arrest Cutlar and transport him to Victoria for trial by British law, local American citizens sought military protection. General William S. Harney, commanding the Department of the Columbia, ordered Captain George E. Pickett to occupy the island with a detachment of troops. This maneuver drew a stern response from the British navy, who dispatched warships to the harbor. The standoff—involving American soldiers and British naval forces—nearly resulted in open war. It was only through the eventual diplomatic intervention of higher authorities that the crisis was resolved peacefully, though the island remained a site of shared military occupation for years to come.
“This was United States territory, no laws, other than those of the United States, nor courts, except such as are held by virtue of said laws, will be recognized or allowed on this island.”
The San Juan Islands are now a peaceful destination, but in 1859, the boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain nearly ignited a conflict right in our backyard. The 'Pig War' remains a classic study in how a local, seemingly trivial incident can be escalated by overzealous military officials into a major international threat.
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