Twelve Years, Five Warships, One Pig — The 1859 Standoff

Added: 2026-04-30

[00:00:00]Back in 1859, a single pig eating potatoes nearly dragged America and the British Empire into a full-scale war.

[00:00:08]When American farmer Lyman Cutler found a Hudson's Bay Company boore raiding his garden, he grabbed his rifle and shot it dead. The British demanded $100 in compensation, but Cutler offered only 10. And when officials threatened to arrest him, the settlers begged the United States Army for protection.

[00:00:26]General Harney dispatched Captain George Picket and 66 soldiers to occupy the island, and Britain answered with five warships and over 2,000 men.

[00:00:36]Standoff lasted 12 years until Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany awarded the islands to America, and throughout the entire affair, the pig remained the only casualty.