Aroostock War

The Aroostock War was the only war ever declared by a state and it was also the only US bloodless war. It was over New Brunswick and Aroostock land claims. The only fighting took place in a barroom brawl between British and US soldiers. The war established Maine?s current boundary.

The Aroostock War began with the seizure of Rufus McIntire, a U.S. land agent sent to the Aroostock region between New Brunswick, Canada, and Maine, to expel Canadian lumberjacks who had entered the disputed area. The boundary question had been an Anglo-American issue since 1783 and had never been satisfactorily settled. After McIntire's arrest, Maine and New Brunswick called out their militias, and the Nova Scotia legislature appropriated war funds. Congress authorized a conscriiption of 50,000 men and voted $10,000,000 toward the prosecution of this action. Calmer voices prevailed: General WInfield Scott arranged a truce, and both parties agreed to refer the dispute to a boundary commission. The issue was settled in 1842 by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.