A Study Of The San Juan Waters Dispute(1859-1872)

A vague wording in the Oregon Treaty of 1846 triggered a dispute between Britain and the United States over the sovereignty of the San Juan Islands.with the escalation of the conflict,the armed forces of the two countries confronted each other in the waters of San Juan.After negotiations,the two sides agreed to carry out a joint military occupation of San Juan Island,until1872,Britain and the United States peacefully settled the dispute over San Juan waters by means of international arbitration.This paper consists of three parts: introduction,text and conclusion,and the text is divided into four chapters.The first chapter mainly introduces the historical background of the dispute in San Juan waters.The signing of the Treaty of Oregon in 1846 ended the protracted tug-of-war between Britain and the United States on the Oregon issue.But a vague wording in the treaty has sparked a dispute between the two countries over the sovereignty of the San Juan islands,which neither Britain nor the US are willing to cede because of its military and economic value.The second chapter combs the outbreak process of the dispute in detail.After the signing of the Oregon Treaty,both the Washington Territory of the United States and the British Colony of British Columbia claimed sovereignty over the San Juan Islands.subsequently,the two sides broke out the "sheep incident" over the tax revenue of the Hudson Bay Company’s ranches on San Juan Island,which attracted the attention of both governments and subsequently set up a joint border survey commission.But with the outbreak of the "Pig War" in 1859 and the landing of Pickett and American troops on San Juan Island,the situation on the island escalated,and British and American troops confronted Griffin Bay in the waters of San Juan.The third chapter analyzes the final settlement of the dispute in detail.After news of the standoff between British and American troops in Griffin Bay reached Washington,President James Buchanan volunteered to send Army Commander Winfield Scott to San Juan to control the situation.After negotiations between the two sides,it was decided to conduct a joint military occupation of San Juan Island.With the end of the American Civil War and the accession of British Columbia to the Confederation of Canada,the San Juan waters dispute was brought back to the negotiating table.In 1871,Britain and the United States stipulated in the Treaty of Washington that the dispute over San Juan waters would be submitted to the German Emperor William I for arbitration,and the following year,William I ruled in favor of the United States.On November 25,1872,British troops withdrew from San Juan Island and ceded all sovereignty over the San Juan Islands to the United States,and the dispute was finally settled peacefully.The fourth chapter comprehensively summarizes the follow-up impact of the dispute.This paper makes a detailed analysis of the impact of the dispute over San Juan waters from the perspectives of Britain,Canada and the United States.The peaceful settlement of the dispute over San Juan waters enabled the United States to win an equal partnership with Britain;Britain gained a secure,free and prosperous trading environment;and Canada strengthened national cohesion.British Columbia has been better integrated into the Commonwealth of Canada.What is reflected behind this is the change of the international situation and the comparison of the strength of Britain and the United States.the peaceful settlement of the dispute provided valuable time and space for the rise of the United States at the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century.it further promoted the peaceful transfer of power between the two countries around the world at the end of the 19 th century.Through the analysis of the background,process and impact of the dispute in San Juan waters,through the arrangement,interpretation and analysis of materials,this paper systematically combs the historical background,development process and follow-up impact of the dispute in San Juan waters,attempts to restore the full picture and relevant details of the dispute,and strives to make an objective and appropriate evaluation of the nature of the dispute and its impact in many aspects at home and abroad.