The Van Buren Administration, 1839
A boundary dispute simmered between Maine and New Brunswick ever since the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The area was thinly settled in the early years, but by the 1830s rival gangs of lumberjacks inhabited the area near the Aroostook River. Altercations followed and one American was seized by the Canadians. Passions for war grew on both sides.  Maine raised forces for the anticipated fight, but Winfield Scott arrived in the region and pursuaded the sides to agree to submit the matter to a commission. (The matter was eventually resolved in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842.) The Aroostook War was an undeclared and bloodless conflict which heightened tensions between Britain and the United States. Some elements were critical of President Van Buren for not taking stronger and more immediate action against the former mother country.
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