Reasons for the
Aroostook War for kids: 1783 Treaty of Paris
Following the Revolutionary War of Independence, the
1783 Treaty of Paris was signed ending hostilities between the
United States and Great Britain and in which U.S. boundaries were
established. In the Treaty of Paris the northeastern border of the
United States was described as follows:
"From the northwest angle of
Nova Scotia, to wit, that angle which is formed by a line drawn due
north from the source of the St. Croix river to the highlands, along
the said highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves
into the St. Lawrence, and those which fall into the Atlantic ocean,
to the northwestern most head of the Connecticut river."
The
description of the borders was very unclear. The reason for this was
because the vast interior of the region had neither been explored
nor mapped.
Reasons for the
Aroostook War for kids: Background History
The basis of
land claims in the Aroostook War dispute was based on the 1783
Treaty of Paris. Other treaties had been made clarifying borders
such as the
1794 Jay Treaty nor the
1814 Treaty of Ghent. The
Treaty of 1818 set
the 49th parallel as the border with Canada from Rupert's Land west
to the Rocky Mountains but the area of Aroostook was left undefined.
Reasons for
Aroostook War: Background History
The Treaty of
Ghent restored things to the way they were before the
War of 1812.
Article V addressed the unresolved border dispute - the demarcation
of the "highlands" that were to be the boundary between the US and
Britain's colonies. In order to achieve the peace terms the issue of
the boundary was differed. Article V of the Treaty of Ghent stated:
● Commissioners
were to be appointed, to survey the area and establish the
border
● In the event that the
commissioners disagreed, The British and the Americans agreed to
put the decision in the hands of "some friendly sovereign or
State"
● This impartial third party would
determine the border between Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and
New York in the US, and New Brunswick and Lower Canada (Quebec)
Reasons for
Aroostook War: Maine becomes a state
Maine became a
state in 1820 and began granting land to settlers in the Aroostook
Valley, ignoring British claims. The situation became more
antagonistic. The "highlands" boundary separated rivers draining
into the St. Lawrence from those entering the Atlantic. Maine
insisted this height of land was north of the St. John River, whilst
New Brunswick insisted the Penobscot watershed was the boundary
line. The increased American settlement in the 1820s brought further
tensions to the area, and these were made even worse when
lumberjacks from Maine and New Brunswick converged on the timber
adjacent to the Aroostook, Allagash, and St. John rivers.
Aroostook War: Arbitration by King William I of the Netherlands
The
Commissioners attempting to agree the borders could not come to an
agreement and
put the decision in the hands of
"some friendly sovereign or State". In 1831 King William I of the Netherlands was
called upon to make an arbitrary decision on the disputed boundary.
Aroostook War: The Canadian Rebellions and the Caroline Affair
The Rebellions of
1837 were two armed uprisings that took place in Lower and Upper
Canada in 1837 and 1838 leading to the Caroline affair
that strained relations between the United States and British Canada
even further.
Aroostook War: US Rejects the Arbitration Decision
The British accepted his decision but Maine were extremely unhappy,
pressured the government and the US Senate rejected the arbitration
decision. This sparked the International Incident known as the
Aroostook War.
Aroostook War: Neutrality Law of 1838
The Neutrality Law of
1838 was passed empowering civil authorities to prevent
border excursions.
Facts about the
Aroostook War: General Winfield Scott and the "Aroostook War"
The facts and events leading to the Aroostook War were as follows:
Facts about
the
Aroostook War for kids
Aroostook War Fact 1:
During the winter of
1838/39 Canadian lumberjacks arrived in the disputed
Aroostook area to cut timber - as did lumberjacks from
Maine
Aroostook War Fact 2:
The Maine legislature
authorized Maine's land agent, Rufus McIntire, the
Penobscot County sheriff, and a posse of volunteer
militia to arrest the New Brunswick lumberjacks
Aroostook War Fact 3:
Some New Brunswick
lumberjacks were arrested and their equipment and
animals confiscated
Aroostook War Fact 4:
The Canadian
lumberjacks raised their own posse and retaliated by
seizing the land agent, Rufus McIntire, and others who
had been sent to expel them
Aroostook War Fact 5:
In March 1839 British
troops from Quebec reached Madawaska, the American
sector of Aroostook
Aroostook War Fact 6:
Maine pressurized
Congress authorized a force of 50,000 men and
appropriated $10 million to address the crisis
Aroostook War Fact 7:
Both Maine and New
Brunswick called out their militia.
Aroostook War Fact 8:
Maine actually sent
10,000 troops to Aroostook
Aroostook War Fact 9:
President Van Buren
sent General Winfield Scott to Aroostook to diffuse the
situation
Aroostook War Fact
10: In March 1839 General
Winfield Scott negotiated with an agreement the British
negotiator, Sir John Harvey, agreeing a truce and a
joint occupancy of the area in dispute until a
satisfactory settlement could be reached
Aroostook War Fact 11:
The officials of
Maine and New Brunswick and the British agreed to refer
the dispute to a boundary commission
Aroostook War Fact 12:
The agreement averted
all military action.
Aroostook War Fact
13: Neither side wanted
an expensive war that would interrupt trade
Aroostook War Fact 14:
No serious fighting
actually took place during the Aroostook "War" although
there were a couple of skirmishes and clashes between
the lumberjacks
Aroostook War Fact 15:
The boundary was
later settled by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842
Facts about
the
Aroostook War for kids
Aroostook War for
kids
The info about the Aroostook War provides interesting facts and
important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the 8th President of the United States of America.
Effects
of the
Aroostook War
The effects of the
Aroostook War was that a truce was negotiated until
boundary lines had been settled, averting
military conflict. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was
agreed.
Significance of the
Aroostook War:
The significance of the Aroostook War were:
● It
signaled the importance and necessity of settling the border
dispute
● The
Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed August 9, 1842
● The United
States received 7,015 sq miles
● Great
Britain received 5,012 sq miles
● The US -
Canada border dispute in the Great Lakes area was settled - the
boundaries of the 1783 Treaty of Paris were defined and the
border at the 49th parallel reaffirmed
● The
current border between Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec was
established
● The
east-west passage of the St John's river was open to free
navigation by both countries
● The
community of the Upper St. John River Valley is divided by an
international border
Aroostook War for kids - President Martin Van Buren Video
The article on the
Aroostook War provides an overview of one of the Important issues of his presidential term in office. The following
Martin Van Buren video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 8th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1841.
Aroostook War
●
Interesting Facts about
Aroostook War for kids and schools
●
Facts about the Aroostook War
●
The Aroostook War, a Important
event in US history
●
Martin Van Buren Presidency from March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1841
●
Fast, fun, interesting facts about the Aroostook War
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Martin Van Buren
● Martin Van Buren Presidency and
Aroostook War for schools,
homework, kids and children |