Editing Martin Van Buren (section)

====Northern Maine: the Aroostook "War"====
A new crisis surfaced in late 1838, in the disputed territory on the thinly settled [[History of Maine|Maine]]–[[New Brunswick]] frontier. Americans were settling on long-disputed land claimed by the United States and the United Kingdom. The British considered possession of the area vital to the defense of Canada.{{sfn|Wilson|1984|pp=164–166}} Both American and New Brunswick lumberjacks cut timber in the disputed territory during the winter of 1838–1839. On December&nbsp;29, New Brunswick lumbermen were spotted cutting down trees on an American estate near the [[Aroostook River]]. When American woodcutters rushed to stand guard, a shouting match, known as the [[Battle of Caribou]], ensued. Tensions escalated with officials from both Maine and New Brunswick arresting each other's citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historycentral.com/Ant/Aroostock.html|title=1837 – Aroostook War|publisher=Historycentral|access-date=March 17, 2017|archive-date=March 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318172510/http://www.historycentral.com/Ant/Aroostock.html|url-status=live}}</ref> British troops began to gather along the [[St. John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John River]]. Maine Governor [[John Fairfield]] mobilized the state militia.

The American press clamored for war; "Maine and her soil, or BLOOD!" screamed one editorial. "Let the sword be drawn and the scabbard thrown away!"<ref>Michael T. Perry, "'Maine and Her Soil, or Blood!': Political Rhetoric and Spatial Identity during the Aroostook War in Maine". ''Maine History'' 47.1 (2013): 68–93 [https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&context=mainehistoryjournal online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627120411/https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1095&context=mainehistoryjournal |date=June 27, 2023 }}.</ref>  In June, Congress authorized 50,000&nbsp;troops and a $10&nbsp;million budget<ref>{{cite web|title=The High Comedy of the Bloodless Aroostook War|url=http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-high-comedy-of-the-bloodless-aroostook-war/|publisher=New England Historical Society|location=Stonington|access-date=March 17, 2017|date=March 10, 2015|archive-date=October 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006062020/http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-high-comedy-of-the-bloodless-aroostook-war/|url-status=live}}</ref> in the event foreign military troops crossed into United States territory.

Van Buren wanted peace and met with the British minister to the United States. The two men agreed to resolve the border issue diplomatically.{{sfn|Silbey|2002|p=128}} Van Buren sent General Scott to the scene to lower the tensions. Scott successfully convinced all sides to submit the border issue to arbitration. The border dispute was put to rest a few years later, with the signing of the 1842 [[Webster–Ashburton Treaty]].<ref name=MVforeign/>{{sfn|Nowlan|2012|p=329}}