[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 626 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 626

Recognizing the 160th anniversary of the peaceful resolution of the Pig 
                              War crisis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 11, 2019

     Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself, Mr. Heck, Mr. Smith of 
  Washington, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. Jayapal, and Mr. Newhouse) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the 160th anniversary of the peaceful resolution of the Pig 
                              War crisis.

Whereas for more than 40 years, Great Britain and the United States contended 
        over the Oregon Country, which today comprises Washington, Oregon, and 
        Idaho, as well as portions of Montana and Wyoming and the province of 
        British Columbia;
Whereas, on June 15, 1846, the two nations agreed upon the 49th parallel as the 
        international boundary, but could not agree on a water boundary between 
        Vancouver Island and the mainland, where the San Juan Islands lie;
Whereas tensions over possession of the islands escalated to crisis proportions 
        on San Juan Island when on June 15, 1859, a United States farmer shot 
        and killed a pig belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, prompting 
        dispatch of naval and military forces from both nations to the island's 
        southern shore;
Whereas the crisis was resolved peacefully through a combination of restraint 
        and diplomacy when United States Army Commander Lieutenant General 
        Winfield Scott arrived from Washington, DC, to negotiate a standdown 
        with British Columbia Governor James Douglas;
Whereas the ensuing 12-year, peaceful joint military occupation of San Juan 
        Island challenged United States soldiers and British Royal Marines to 
        cope with the difficulty of 1860s military life in an isolated 
        environment, yet formed a lasting friendship between the two garrisons;
Whereas, in 1872, the boundary question was settled in favor of the United 
        States through arbitration by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, which brought 
        a lasting peace on the 49th parallel between Great Britain, Canada, and 
        the United States;
Whereas San Juan Island National Historical Park was created in 1966 to 
        commemorate the peaceful settlement of the Pig War crisis and celebrate 
        the idea that individuals and nations can resolve their differences 
        peacefully without resorting to violence; and
Whereas diplomats and members of the military from the United States and the 
        United Kingdom continue to serve their countries side by side in remote 
        regions of the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the 160th 
anniversary of the peaceful resolution of the Pig War crisis and 
applauds the close ties and lasting friendship between the United 
Kingdom and the United States.
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