Prompt Cast
The Pig War: A Bizarre Conflict Over a Single Pig
TLDR The Pig War was a strange conflict between the British and American powers that started when an American found a pig eating his potatoes. The dispute over the San Juan Islands eventually led to the British withdrawing from the island and the Americans hoisting a giant American flag, but tensions were high and there was a possibility of a larger war between the two nations.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Pig War was a conflict between the British and American powers over a single pig.
01:27
The British and Americans originally set the boundary in the west on the 49th parallel, but the area between Vancouver Island and the mainland wasn't resolved in the treaty.
02:36
The dispute over the San Juan Islands between the US and Britain led to the Pig War, which started when an American found a pig eating his potatoes in his garden.
03:44
The American settlers asked for military assistance from Brigadier General William S. Harney after an Irishman named Charles Griffin asked for the arrest of an American named Cutler for shooting his pig and the eviction of the rest of the Americans on the island.
05:01
By August 10, there were 461 Americans and 2,140 British Marines and sailors on San Juan Island, with both sides waiting for their respective commanders to take action, but both Admiral Baines and the American commanders were ordered not to shoot first.
06:17
In 1872, the British withdrew from the island and the Americans hoisted a giant American flag on the flagpole at the British camp, only to find that the pole had been chopped down.
07:31
If there had been another war with the United States, British ministers planned to abandon all of their possessions in North America, including Canada, due to the cost and the focus on India.
