People usually think of the border between the United States and Canada as the world’s longest undefended fence. It's basically a line of trees cut through the woods where people occasionally get in trouble for accidentally wandering across while hiking. But it wasn't always this way. Honestly, the history of US vs Canada war is a lot messier than your high school history teacher probably let on.
We’ve tried to invade them. They’ve burned down our White House. We even spent the 1930s drawing up secret plans to bomb their major cities. It sounds like a bad action movie script, but it’s 100% real.
The story of how these two countries went from sworn enemies to "best friends who share a Netflix account" is filled with dead pigs, angry Irish veterans, and some of the weirdest military strategies ever put to paper.
When the US Actually Invaded
The most famous instance of US vs Canada war is the War of 1812. Most Americans remember it for the "Star-Spangled Banner" and Andrew Jackson at New Orleans. Canadians remember it as the time they kicked us out and saved their country.
In 1812, the US thought taking Canada would be a "mere matter of marching," as Thomas Jefferson famously put it. He was wrong. Very wrong.
The Americans launched several invasions. They were disorganized. Many of the state militias actually refused to cross the border, claiming their contracts only required them to defend their home states, not invade a foreign one.
The British and Canadian forces (along with Indigenous allies led by the legendary Tecumseh) pushed back. Hard. In 1813, American troops burned the Parliament buildings in York—which is now Toronto. A year later, the British retaliated by sailing up the Chesapeake and burning the White House and the Capitol.
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The War That Started Over a Pig
You can't talk about US vs Canada war history without mentioning the Pig War of 1859. It’s exactly what it sounds like.
An American farmer on San Juan Island (which both countries claimed at the time) found a pig rooting around in his potato patch. He shot it. The pig belonged to a British company. When the British threatened to arrest the farmer, the US Army sent in 66 soldiers to protect him.
The British didn't back down. They sent three massive warships.
For weeks, American soldiers and British sailors stared at each other over a dead pig. It sounds funny now, but it was a hair-trigger situation. Eventually, everyone realized how stupid it was to start a global conflict over livestock. They decided to "jointly occupy" the island for years until a German Kaiser finally arbitrated the border in 1872.
The Secret Invasion Plans of the 1930s
This is the part that usually blows people's minds. Even into the 20th century, the US military was seriously preparing for a US vs Canada war.
It was called War Plan Red.
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Declassified in 1974, this document was a detailed blueprint for a full-scale invasion of Canada. The logic was that if the US ever went to war with Great Britain, Canada would be the British "staging ground."
The plan was brutal:
- Use chemical weapons (the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh actually suggested this).
- Bomb the port of Halifax to prevent British reinforcements.
- Capture the Niagara Falls power plants to shut down the Canadian economy.
- Invade Winnipeg to cut the Canadian rail lines in half.
Canada wasn't just sitting around, though. A guy named Lieutenant Colonel James "Buster" Sutherland Brown created Defence Scheme No. 1. His plan was a "preemptive strike."
Brown’s idea was that as soon as Canada saw the Americans coming, Canadian "flying columns" would rush across the border and seize Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and Albany. They knew they couldn't hold them forever, but they hoped to buy enough time for the British Navy to show up and save them.
Brown actually spent his vacations driving around the northern US in plain clothes, taking notes on where the best bridges to blow up were.
The Fenian Raids: Irish Veterans vs. Canada
Between 1866 and 1871, a group of Irish-Americans called the Fenian Brotherhood decided the best way to free Ireland from British rule was to... kidnap Canada.
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They were mostly Civil War veterans who were bored and looking for a fight. They crossed the border several times, even winning a small battle at Ridgeway, Ontario. It was a bizarre moment in US vs Canada war history where the US government basically looked the other way for a bit because they were still mad at Britain for supporting the South during the Civil War.
Eventually, the US started arresting the Fenians to keep the peace.
Why a War is Impossible Today
The idea of a modern US vs Canada war is basically a meme.
Our economies are so integrated that if the US invaded Canada, we’d essentially be bombing our own supply chains. About $2 billion worth of goods and services cross that border every single day.
We also share the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). If a missile flies toward North America, Americans and Canadians are sitting in the same bunkers deciding how to stop it.
The transition from enemies to allies wasn't a single event. It was a slow realization that trade is more profitable than territory.
What You Should Know Now
If you're interested in the history of the border, here are the "actionable" ways to see this history for yourself:
- Visit Fort Erie: Located right across from Buffalo, NY, this was the site of the bloodiest battle ever fought on Canadian soil during the War of 1812.
- San Juan Island National Historical Park: You can still visit "American Camp" and "English Camp" where the Pig War standoff happened. They are on opposite ends of the island.
- Read the Declassified Plans: You can find the full text of War Plan Red online through the National Archives. It is a fascinating, chilling read.
The US vs Canada war might be a relic of the past, but the scars and the stories are still right there on the map. We didn't always get along, and that's exactly what makes the current peace so impressive.