The Pig War and San Juan Islands

The San Juan Islands, shaped by glaciers over millennia, are a group of islands with disputed numbers, ranging from 200 to 800. This dispute once led to the Pig War in 1859, a conflict between the US and Britain over territorial claims, sparked by an American farmer shooting a pig. The standoff lasted 12 years until an international commission, led by Kaiser Wilhelm I, awarded the islands to the US, marking the last territorial conflict between the two nations.

How were the San Juan Islands formed?

• By erosion

• By volcanic activity

• By glacial movement

• By tectonic shifts

What is the estimated height of the ice sheet that once covered the San Juan Islands?

• 4,500 ft

• 1,000 ft

• 2,000 ft

• 3,400 ft

What is the debated range of the number of islands in the San Juans?

• 300 to 900

• 200 to 800

• 400 to 1000

• 100 to 300

What event nearly led to war between the US and Britain in 1859?

• The Oregon Trail Dispute

• The Boston Tea Party

• The Pig War

• The War of 1812

What sparked the Pig War?

• An American farmer shooting a pig

• A trade disagreement

• A border dispute

• A naval blockade

Who headed the international commission that resolved the Pig War?

• Prime Minister William Gladstone

• President Abraham Lincoln

• German Kaiser Wilhelm I

• Queen Victoria

When did British forces leave the San Juan Islands?

• 1872

• 1865

• 1880

• 1890

What was the significance of the Pig War in US-Britain relations?

• It marked the last territorial dispute over American soil

• It led to the American Revolution

• It resulted in a trade agreement

• It was the first war between the two nations