President Thomas Jefferson once wrote “The acquisition of Canada will be a mere matter of marching.” He was wrong.
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross
In the 1700s and 1800s the belief that it was the manifest destiny of the United States to occupy and control the Western Hemisphere was popular, but that was nearly 200 years ago, and while many supported the idea in those centuries, today it is just a chapter in this country’s history books. That is until incoming President Donald Trump suggested recently that Canada should become the 51st State.
Many of us remember when in January 1959 Alaska became the 49th state followed that summer by Hawaii becoming the 50th state. Before that, the last state to join the Union was Arizona in 1912. While there were many obstacles involved in bringing Alaska and Hawaii into the nation, one of the things I remember was the controversy over the flag, and how to add two more stars to the 48-star field. Obviously, that was nicely settled, with the addition of two states, making for an acceptable design. I don’t know if there were many 49-star flags made, but it would be something to find one.
Annexing Canada as the 51st state might be a little more problematic. Canada is first of all a sovereign nation. Even if you count Alaska and Hawaii, Canada is bigger than the United States. Canada is 3,855,103 sq miles and the United States is 3,796,742 sq. miles. And even though there are vastly more Americans than Canadians, I don’t think its 37.06 million residents want to be part of the United States. Heck, right now there are many Americans who were born here that are questioning whether they want to be Americans. Still there are many who want to be seen as citizens of this great country.
The border between Canada and the U.S. is one of the longest in the world stretching along the 49th parallel from British Columbia to Manitoba adding in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and stateside from the state of Wshington to Maine including the Great Lakes. The border was established in 1818 and formalized in 1846.
While relations between the two countries have remained relatively peaceful, the United States or American rabblerousers have invaded Canada several times. During The American Revolution (1775) colonial troops attempted to seize Quebec City and failed. In 1812 American troops attempted to invade Canada and free it from British control. President Thomas Jefferson wrote “The acquisition of Canada will be a mere matter of marching.” Canadians didn’t agree and did not join their would be liberators.
There have been other incidents that involved the two nations including the Patriot War (1838) when American sympathizers and Canadian rebels crossed the St. Lawrence River from New York state in another attempted invasion but were repelled.
The Pork & Beans War (1838-1839) a boundry dispute between Maine and New Brunswick, was settled when 50,000 U.S. troops were dispatched. The war ended with no combat deaths. The Maine-Canadian border was formalized in the 1842 Webster-Ashburton Treaty.
In the Pig War (1859) the United States and Canada nearly went to war over a dead hog on San Juan Island off the coast of Washington. British Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes refused to attack and “involve two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig.” The San Juan Islands became American territories.
Following the Civil War, Irish American veterans belonging to the Fenian Brotherhood plotted to invade Canada and hold it “hostage” in return for the independence of Ireland. General Ulysses S. Grant took control his former troops and forced the Fenians to return to the United States.
In theCypress Hills Massacre (1873)rogue American fur and whiskey traders breached the Canadian border and clashed with native tribes. The newly formed North-West Mounted Police were dispatched to establish order.
While these skirmishes made headlines in their day, they are merely historical footnotes today. The relationship between the two countries has been good and without, for the most part, the trouble seen on this country’s southern border. To even suggest that great nation would want to make itself part of the United States is ridiculous.
However, if the incoming President is looking to pad his legacy by bringing another state into the Union, he has only to look to the southeast toward the tropics. Puerto Rico has held seven referendums on the topic of statehood since 1967, and four since 2012 and the last in November. At least that American territory has expressed a desire to become a state.
Kathryn Ross is a Wellsville based writer, columnist, and reporter. She can be reached anytime, kathr_2002@yahoo.com
