Following the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the boundary between the newly independent United States and British North America remained vaguely defined along the Aroostook River valley. By the late 1830s, both American and Canadian lumberjacks moved into the fertile, timber-rich territory, leading to clashes over valuable white pine forests. Tensions reached a breaking point in 1838 when Maine militia members arrested a British land agent who was attempting to stop American logging activities.
In response, British forces declared martial law and arrested the Maine land agent. Both sides mobilized thousands of troops, sending state militias and army units to the frozen borderland during the harsh winter of 1838-1839. The confrontation earned the nickname 'The Pork and Beans War' because of the massive supply trains loaded with salt pork and canned beans needed to feed the idle, shivering troops stationed in northern Maine.
Despite the high tensions and heavy troop deployments, no actual combat took place between the official armed forces. The only recorded fatalities were due to disease and an accidental firearm discharge, along with an infamous rumor of a soldier who was injured by a stray bear. Recognizing the absurdity and expense of a potential full-scale war over timber, President Martin Van Buren dispatched General Winfield Scott to negotiate a truce.
Scott successfully arranged a temporary stand-down, which paved the way for the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, permanently setting the international boundary.