My husband and I visited the Peace Arch on the border between the United States and Canada last weekend. The scene was idyllic—water, gardens, and an inspiring arch that reminds us that the U.S. and Canada have had friendly relations for a long time. “Children of a common mother,” says the U.S. side of the arch. “Brethren dwelling together in unity,” says the Canadian side.
And “May these gates never be closed” is written on the inside of the arch, where two metal gates are bolted open on the border. We walked freely from the Washington State park into the British Columbia Provincial park and freely walked back. (Though there were signs warning that U.S. Customs and Border Protection could stop us as we returned.)
I believe in border control. I also believe the relationship between the U.S. and Canada should remain friendly. And I also think it is silly to talk of Canada becoming a 51st state. These three concepts can all be true.
As a writer of historical fiction about the Pacific Northwest, I know that, for the most part, relations between the U.S. and Canada have been positive. In the 1840s, John McLaughlin of the Hudson’s Bay Company helped many American pioneers who reached Oregon in dire straits.
But there have been disputes between the U.S. and Canada in the past. One of these disputes was the Pig War. I was reminded of this incident by an exhibit on the U.S. side of the Peach Arch about the Pig War and the survey of the border between the U.S. and Canada.
The Oregon Treaty of 1846 set the boundary between the U.S. and Canada (then part of Britain) in the Pacific Northwest along the 49th parallel to the middle of the channel separating the mainland from Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, the treaty did not specify which channel (there were at least two), and that left ownership of the San Juan Islands in dispute.
By 1859, both British and U.S. citizens had settled on these islands. On June 15, 1859, an American living on San Juan Island, Lyman Cutlar, shot and killed a pig that was rooting around in his potato patch. The pig belonged to Charles Griffin, an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Griffin demanded compensation, and Cutlar refused, arguing that the pig had trespassed. British authorities threatened to arrest Cutlar, prompting Americans to ask the U.S. military for protection.
The U.S. Army sent troops to San Juan Island in July 1859. In response, the British sent three warships to the area. Neither side wanted bloodshed, and in September 1859, British Rear Admiral Robert Baynes refused orders to attack the Americans, saying it would be foolish to go to war over a pig.
Both nations agreed to joint military occupation of the island, and this standoff lasted until 1872, The Germans then arbitrated the dispute and ruled in favor of the United States, giving the San Juan Islands to the U.S. The British peacefully withdrew, ending the dispute without a single human casualty.
It is unfortunate that more international conflicts are not resolved through diplomacy rather than through violence. Diplomacy requires that we remember we are all “children of a common mother.” Perhaps that is too idealistic, but the Peace Arch inspires idealism and optimism, which are in short supply these days.
What historic monuments have you visited that inspired you?
Many years ago, when Washington, DC was a POSITIVELY historical place, my parents and I visited and really enjoyed being steeped in history. The Vietnam memorial was a somber element where it was just understood that everyone would be quiet. We didn’t witness any talking whatsoever. It was church-like.
I haven’t been to D.C. in about fifteen years, but I would think it is still a positive place from a historical perspective. I learned something each time I went to one of the museums, memorials, and other historical sites. The Vietnam Memorial was a somber place when we visited as well. And the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum even more so.
Theresa