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Quiz about You Went to War Over WHAT
Quiz about You Went to War Over WHAT

You Went to War Over WHAT? Trivia Quiz


Nations have gone to war over many things, some of them quite noble while others have been a bit on the misguided side. However, this is one will definitely make you scratch your head and say "huh"? I present to you, The Pig War of 1859!

A multiple-choice quiz by thelancinator. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
341,500
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
473
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. A war about a pig? That can't possibly be right you say. Well, as absurd as it may sound, it truly was a war, all started by a pig. But before we dive into the details of the war, let's find out which countries were involved, shall we? On one side of this war was the United States, but can you tell me who was on the other side of this dire conflict? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Well, you now know there was a Pig War, but did you know that there were also multiple names for this event in history? From the list, tell me which was NOT one of the other names of the Pig War. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The group of islands in dispute were the San Juan Islands. By some accounts of the time, the people that drew up the treaty didn't know these islands existed, but in fact, both sides in this conflict had previously surveyed the islands. Many believe that the diplomats involved in drawing up the treaty believed that a speedy resolution to the territorial dispute was more important than dealing with a group of insignificant islands with no British or American inhabitants. So, without discussing it, the wording of the treaty allowed both sides to believe the islands belonged to them, yet for five years after the signing of the treaty, neither side made an attempt to settle the San Juan Islands, that is until the Hudson's Bay Company set up a seasonal salmon curing station on the island in 1851. For what business was the Hudson's Bay Company most famously known? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What started the Pig War -- On June 15th, 1859 (which happens to be 13 years to the day the Oregon Treaty was adopted and who says 13 isn't an unlucky number) American Lyman Cutlar was out in his garden when he found a rather large pig eating his potatoes. He was so mad upon seeing this, that he shot the pig dead. Unfortunately, this pig belonged to Charles Griffin, an Irishman who was a part of the British settlement on the island. When Griffin discovered his pig had been shot, he confronted Cutlar, whereupon Cutlar offered $10 in compensation for the dead pig. This was unacceptable to Griffin who instead demanded how much for his deceased swine? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Since neither party could agree on compensation for the dead pig, the British authorities were called in and threatened to arrest Cutlar and also evict all his countrymen from the island as trespassers. This in turn caused the American settlers to call for military protection from the United States. So, Brig. Gen. William S. Harney, commander of the Department of Oregon, ordered Company D of the 9th U.S. Infantry to San Juan Island which was under the command of Capt. George E. Pickett. Believe it or not, this is not the conflict for which Pickett is most well known. What war is is Pickett much more famous for being involved in? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Pickett's men took up position on Griffin Bay to prevent the British from landing any troops to try and evict the American settlers. The British were worried that the Americans, considered as squatters, would occupy the island if something wasn't done. So, the governor of Vancouver Island, James Douglas, called in three warships to counter the American presence. The Americans countered by adding more troops and the British countered with more warships. By mid-August, there were 461 Americans with 14 cannons countered by five British ships with 70 guns and 2,140 men. At this time, not one shot had been fired by either military in this war.


Question 7 of 10
7. While all this drama was unfolding, word finally reached Washington, D.C. as to what was happening and officials from both countries were shocked to find that a dead pig had brought both great powers to the brink of a shooting war. It was then that the President of the United States dispatched General Winfield Scott, who was the U.S. Army Commander and a veteran of the War of 1812 as well as a veteran of resolving border disputes, to the area to try and contain the situation. Who was this President during the time of the Pig War conflict? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. During this standoff, something a bit unexpected happened as a result. This huge military escalation became something of a tourist attraction for the locals on both sides in the area and many of them ventured to San Juan Island to see it for themselves. In fact, so many people showed up that a permanent settlement know as San Juan Town sprang up and with the arrival of new settlers, saloons and brothels soon followed, attracting civilians and soldiers alike from both sides. With all these new businesses and settlers popping up, under which authority were they governed/regulated? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A little over a month after being dispatched, General Scott arrived in the area. Although he never went ashore, General Scott did the negotiating between both sides, and not long after his arrival, both sides reached an agreement to defuse the situation. What kind of agreement was General Scott able to broker between both sides in the Pig War? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. With the chance of armed conflict abated and the US Civil War happening, the Pig War dispute was pushed into the background for the time being. But after the Civil War had ended, negotiations over the boundary dispute started anew. In 1871, the Treaty of Washington was ratified by Congress to allow arbitration to decide ownership of the islands and settle the border once and for all. It was decided that Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany would be the arbitrator and would decide which boundary would be used. The Kaiser appointed a commission that studied the situation for more than a year before making a decision. After going through all the evidence presented by both sides, wich side did they agree with in the end? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A war about a pig? That can't possibly be right you say. Well, as absurd as it may sound, it truly was a war, all started by a pig. But before we dive into the details of the war, let's find out which countries were involved, shall we? On one side of this war was the United States, but can you tell me who was on the other side of this dire conflict?

Answer: United Kingdom

Prior to 1846, there was a boundary dispute, known as the Oregon Boundary Dispute, between the United States and the United Kingdom over an area in the Pacific Northwest of North America. It was solved by the Oregon Treaty of June 15, 1846, or so it was thought. Because of some alleged uncertainty involved in the geography of the region, the wording in the treaty was a bit ambiguous and as a result, there was a disputed group of islands claimed by both countries.

This ambiguity helped lead up to The Pig War.
2. Well, you now know there was a Pig War, but did you know that there were also multiple names for this event in history? From the list, tell me which was NOT one of the other names of the Pig War.

Answer: Bacon War of 1859

Seems that although this may have been a very minor war and very localized to one small area, the people involved needed to have multiple names for it. Luckily, there was no war over which would be the official name of this skirmish!
3. The group of islands in dispute were the San Juan Islands. By some accounts of the time, the people that drew up the treaty didn't know these islands existed, but in fact, both sides in this conflict had previously surveyed the islands. Many believe that the diplomats involved in drawing up the treaty believed that a speedy resolution to the territorial dispute was more important than dealing with a group of insignificant islands with no British or American inhabitants. So, without discussing it, the wording of the treaty allowed both sides to believe the islands belonged to them, yet for five years after the signing of the treaty, neither side made an attempt to settle the San Juan Islands, that is until the Hudson's Bay Company set up a seasonal salmon curing station on the island in 1851. For what business was the Hudson's Bay Company most famously known?

Answer: Fur trading

The Hudson's Bay Company was known for its fur trading business for much of its existence and is the oldest commercial corporation in North America, incorporated in 1670. Today, the Hudson's Bay Company is known for its retail stores in both Canada and the United States.

At the time, officials for the Company were upset that England had given up so much of the Oregon Country. James Douglas, who was not only the Governor of the Crown Colony of British Columbia, but was in charge of the Hudson's Bay Company post at Fort Victoria, was steadfast that neither England nor the Hudson's Bay Company be forced from the San Juan Islands.
4. What started the Pig War -- On June 15th, 1859 (which happens to be 13 years to the day the Oregon Treaty was adopted and who says 13 isn't an unlucky number) American Lyman Cutlar was out in his garden when he found a rather large pig eating his potatoes. He was so mad upon seeing this, that he shot the pig dead. Unfortunately, this pig belonged to Charles Griffin, an Irishman who was a part of the British settlement on the island. When Griffin discovered his pig had been shot, he confronted Cutlar, whereupon Cutlar offered $10 in compensation for the dead pig. This was unacceptable to Griffin who instead demanded how much for his deceased swine?

Answer: $100

$100 was not a small sum of money back in 1859 (to give you an idea, adjusted for inflation, that $100 back in 1859 would be equal to around $3,000 in today's money!), and Cutlar scoffed at the idea and instead decided that he didn't owe Griffin anything because the pig had been on his property and eating his potato crop and thus the standoff began.
5. Since neither party could agree on compensation for the dead pig, the British authorities were called in and threatened to arrest Cutlar and also evict all his countrymen from the island as trespassers. This in turn caused the American settlers to call for military protection from the United States. So, Brig. Gen. William S. Harney, commander of the Department of Oregon, ordered Company D of the 9th U.S. Infantry to San Juan Island which was under the command of Capt. George E. Pickett. Believe it or not, this is not the conflict for which Pickett is most well known. What war is is Pickett much more famous for being involved in?

Answer: American Civil War

George Pickett rose to the rank of General in the Confederate army in the American Civil War. He is most famous for a futile assault during the Battle of Gettysburg known as Pickett's Charge on July 3rd, 1863.
6. Pickett's men took up position on Griffin Bay to prevent the British from landing any troops to try and evict the American settlers. The British were worried that the Americans, considered as squatters, would occupy the island if something wasn't done. So, the governor of Vancouver Island, James Douglas, called in three warships to counter the American presence. The Americans countered by adding more troops and the British countered with more warships. By mid-August, there were 461 Americans with 14 cannons countered by five British ships with 70 guns and 2,140 men. At this time, not one shot had been fired by either military in this war.

Answer: True

At this point, there had been absolutely no shots fired by the military on either side in this war, despite the large number of men and armaments on both sides. In fact, British Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes defied the order of the Governor of Vancouver Island to land marines on the island and engage the American soldiers declaring "two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig" was "foolish".
7. While all this drama was unfolding, word finally reached Washington, D.C. as to what was happening and officials from both countries were shocked to find that a dead pig had brought both great powers to the brink of a shooting war. It was then that the President of the United States dispatched General Winfield Scott, who was the U.S. Army Commander and a veteran of the War of 1812 as well as a veteran of resolving border disputes, to the area to try and contain the situation. Who was this President during the time of the Pig War conflict?

Answer: James Buchanan

James Buchanan was the 15th President of the United States serving from 1857 to 1861. The Pig War was far from his most difficult skirmish to deal with during his presidency, as it was during his term that the southern states seceded from the rest of the country in the prelude to the US Civil War. Because of his failure to deal with the secession, many historians rank Buchanan as one of, if not the worst president in United States history.
8. During this standoff, something a bit unexpected happened as a result. This huge military escalation became something of a tourist attraction for the locals on both sides in the area and many of them ventured to San Juan Island to see it for themselves. In fact, so many people showed up that a permanent settlement know as San Juan Town sprang up and with the arrival of new settlers, saloons and brothels soon followed, attracting civilians and soldiers alike from both sides. With all these new businesses and settlers popping up, under which authority were they governed/regulated?

Answer: None at all

Due to the international standoff between England and the US, there was little to no civil authority on the island at all, which attracted the entrepreneurs of vice especially as there was nothing to stand in the way of their operations. Both sides attempted to send civil magistrates in hopes of calming the lawlessness of the island, but since neither side recognized the other's authority, nothing happened.

In fact, at one point both magistrates decided to work together to try and ban alcohol sales in San Juan Town, but to no avail, and liquor and women were easy to come by for both soldiers and civilians.
9. A little over a month after being dispatched, General Scott arrived in the area. Although he never went ashore, General Scott did the negotiating between both sides, and not long after his arrival, both sides reached an agreement to defuse the situation. What kind of agreement was General Scott able to broker between both sides in the Pig War?

Answer: Joint occupation with minimal troops

This agreement to scale back the forces was quickly agreed to by both sides. General Scott initially proposed that each side leave a company of soldiers (about 100 men) on the island until something formal could be decided. Governor Douglas and Admiral Baynes of the British naval force couldn't agree to English occupational forces without consulting London first, but they did agree that if all the US soldiers that arrived in the build-up would leave, they would reduce their forces to one ship offshore, to which General Scott readily agreed. Later, London decided that as long as American forces were stationed on the island, then the British should have troops there as well, which led to the building of the English Camp in February of 1860. And that was how things stood for the next twelve years.
10. With the chance of armed conflict abated and the US Civil War happening, the Pig War dispute was pushed into the background for the time being. But after the Civil War had ended, negotiations over the boundary dispute started anew. In 1871, the Treaty of Washington was ratified by Congress to allow arbitration to decide ownership of the islands and settle the border once and for all. It was decided that Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany would be the arbitrator and would decide which boundary would be used. The Kaiser appointed a commission that studied the situation for more than a year before making a decision. After going through all the evidence presented by both sides, wich side did they agree with in the end?

Answer: The United States

The commission that was appointed by the Kaiser consisted of three German experts, geographer Heinrich Kiepert, Councillor Levin Goldschmidt, and Dr. Ferdinand Grimm of the Imperial High Court of Commerce, to decide the fate of the San Juan Islands. Goldschmidt thought that within the parameters they were allowed to consider, no good decision could be made for either side, while the other two voted in favor of the boundary favored by the United States. So on October 21, 1872, the Kaiser adopted the majority decision and declared the islands to be property of the United States.
Source: Author thelancinator

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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