You’ve probably heard it a thousand times. Canada and the United States share the "longest undefended border in the world." It’s a nice sentiment. It looks great on travel brochures. Honestly, though? It’s kind of a myth.
The history of war between Canada and USA isn't just a single event like the War of 1812. It’s a messy, century-long saga of "almost-wars," secret invasion plans involving poison gas, and a very unfortunate pig.
Most people assume the two countries have always been best friends. They haven't. For a long time, the U.S. looked at Canada as a piece of "manifest destiny" that just hadn't been collected yet. Meanwhile, Canada spent decades terrified that their neighbors to the south were going to come knocking with bayonets.
The War That Actually Happened (And Why Nobody Won)
When people talk about a war between Canada and USA, they usually mean the War of 1812.
Thomas Jefferson famously said that taking Canada would be a "mere matter of marching." He was wrong. Very wrong. The Americans tried to invade three times in 1812 alone. They failed every single time. One army surrendered at Detroit without even firing a shot. Another got thrashed at Queenston Heights.
It was a weird conflict. The Americans burned down York (which we now call Toronto). In return, the British and Canadians marched down to Washington D.C. and torched the White House.
By the time the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814, nobody had really gained any land. But something changed. Canada started to feel like Canada, not just a British outpost. The U.S. realized that invading the north was going to be a massive headache.
The "Pork and Beans" War and the Dead Pig
If you think modern politics is strange, the mid-1800s were on another level.
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Take the Aroostook War of 1838. It’s often called the "Pork and Beans War" because the only real "fighting" involved lumberjacks arguing over who got to cut down trees in Maine and New Brunswick. No one died in battle, though a few soldiers succumbed to disease or accidents. It was basically a high-stakes staring contest that ended with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842.
Then there’s the Pig War of 1859.
This is a real thing that happened on San Juan Island. An American farmer named Lyman Cutler shot a pig belonging to the British Hudson’s Bay Company because it was eating his potatoes.
The British threatened to arrest him. The Americans sent the Army. The British sent three warships. For weeks, hundreds of soldiers and dozens of cannons faced off over a dead hog.
"It is up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig," the British agent reportedly told Cutler.
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Eventually, cooler heads prevailed. They realized starting a global conflict over bacon was probably a bad idea.
The Secret Invasion Plans: Red vs. Blue
This is the part that usually shocks people. Even into the 20th century, both countries were secretly planning for a war between Canada and USA.
In 1921, a Canadian Lieutenant Colonel named James "Buster" Brown drafted Defence Scheme No. 1. He didn't just sit in an office; he actually drove across the border in a Model T to scout American bridges and highways.
His plan? A "flying column" surprise attack.
- Invade Seattle, Spokane, and Portland immediately.
- Seize Albany and Minneapolis.
- Retreat and blow up every bridge behind them to buy time for the British Navy to arrive.
It was a suicide mission, but the Canadians were serious about it.
The Americans weren't just sitting around, either. In 1930, they approved War Plan Red. It was a massive, detailed strategy for a full-scale invasion of Canada to knock out the British Empire's influence in North America.
They planned to seize the grain port of Winnipeg to starve the Canadian economy. They even discussed using chemical weapons—poison gas—to take the port of Halifax. These plans weren't officially declassified until the 1970s.
Why It Still Matters Today
We don’t think about war between Canada and USA anymore because of things like NORAD and the fact that we’re each other’s biggest trading partners. But the border isn't as "settled" as you might think.
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There are still active disputes. Ever heard of Machias Seal Island? Both countries claim it. There’s a lighthouse there with a Canadian keeper, but the U.S. hasn't officially given up the ghost on it. There are also disagreements over the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic and the Northwest Passage.
The shift from "invasion plans" to "diplomatic bickering over fishing rights" is a huge win for humanity.
Actionable Insights: Exploring the History Yourself
If you want to see the remnants of these "almost-wars," you don't need a time machine.
- Visit San Juan Island: You can still see the American and British camps from the Pig War. It’s the only place in a U.S. National Park where a foreign flag (the Union Jack) is regularly flown as a sign of respect.
- Check out Old Fort Erie: Located right across from Buffalo, this was the site of the bloodiest battle ever fought on Canadian soil during the War of 1812.
- Read the Original Plans: You can find the digitized versions of War Plan Red and Defence Scheme No. 1 online. They read like a weird, alternate-history thriller.
- Monitor the IJC: The International Joint Commission (IJC) is the body that now handles border water disputes. It's the modern version of the generals who used to stare each other down across the Niagara River.
History shows that peace between these two giants wasn't an accident. It was a choice made over and over again, often after someone almost pulled the trigger.