Podcast – Borders

Welcome to “Lines Drawn: The Evolution of the Canadian–U.S. Border,” a podcast series hosted by Dr. Graeme Mount, historian and author of numerous works on North American diplomacy and international boundaries. In this series, we journey through the complex and often contentious history of how one of the longest international borders in the world came to be. From the earliest colonial rivalries between Britain, France, and Spain, to the slow, deliberate strokes that defined the 49th parallel as the line from Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains—every treaty, negotiation, and standoff shaped not just geography, but identity, sovereignty, and the course of North American history. We’ll explore how the Oregon Boundary Dispute brought British and American ambitions to a head on the Pacific Coast, and how the final demarcation of Vancouver Island and the San Juan Islands was decided—fittingly, by arbitration rather than arms. And we’ll navigate the icy waters of diplomacy that settled the border with Alaska—where imperial ambition, gold, and geography collided in the shadows of empire. Each episode will unpack the human stories, political motives, and historical turning points that drew, redrew, and finally settled the boundaries of Canada and the United States. Join Dr. Graeme Mount as we trace the invisible lines that became permanent marks on the map—and defined the shape of two nations.

Episode 1

In this first episode, Dr. Graeme Mount explores two enduring questions about the Canada–U.S. border: whether it should exist at all, and if so, where it should be drawn. While the first was settled long ago—though briefly reignited by President Donald Trump—the second evolved through centuries of conflict, diplomacy, and miscalculation. Dr. Mount traces how the American Revolution shattered assumptions that all British colonies in North America shared the same aspirations, revealing why Nova Scotia and Quebec rejected the call to rebel. He examines how the 1783 Treaty of Paris—negotiated by a brilliant American delegation and a commerce-focused British representative—set the initial boundary from the Bay of Fundy to Lake of the Woods, choosing a path that avoided returning French influence. Yet, even that choice, made in haste and with limited geographical knowledge, led to absurdities like Campobello Island’s isolation, still felt centuries later through border complications intensified by post-9/11 security, marijuana legalization, and pandemic travel restrictions. This episode sets the stage for the complex and often unintended consequences of drawing international lines on imperfect maps.

Episode 2

In this second episode, Dr. Graeme Mount examines the turbulent decades following the 1783 Treaty of Paris, as waves of Loyalist refugees reshaped British North America and fresh disputes over the border continued to emerge. He explores the complex motivations behind the Loyalist exodus—ranging from economic hope to political survival—and the challenges of defining a border in a land poorly mapped and hastily divided. Mount recounts how a Loyalist’s discovery of Samuel de Champlain’s garbage helped settle the identity of the St. Croix River and how the War of 1812, fought in part over commercial rights, sparked unexpected Canadian nationalism. Through successive treaties—from Jay’s Treaty to the Treaty of Ghent and the Convention of 1818—British and American diplomats wrestled with contradictions in the original boundary, especially west of Lake of the Woods where geography defied their intentions. The episode details the high-stakes dispute over the Maine–New Brunswick boundary, the strategic importance of the Saint John River, and the tensions that nearly ignited open conflict—only to be defused by political luck, a misplaced U.S. fort, and the diplomatic finesse of Daniel Webster. From Drummond Island to Sugar Island, the episode captures how human error, political priorities, and cartographic guesswork shaped the international line that would define Canada’s future.

Episode 3

In the third episode of this series, Dr. Graeme Mount traces the fraught final stages in the evolution of the Canada–U.S. border along the Pacific coast, beginning with the unresolved disputes left by the 1818 treaty and culminating in the Buchanan-Pakenham Agreement of 1846. As Americans and British vied for strategic and economic control of the Pacific Northwest—Americans seeking access to Puget Sound, and the British defending the Columbia River for the Hudson’s Bay Company—the border was extended along the 49th parallel to the Pacific, leaving Vancouver Island entirely in British hands. Yet the rushed settlement left behind confusion, notably over the San Juan Islands, leading to the infamous “Pig War” of 1859 and arbitration by the German Kaiser, who awarded the territory to the United States. Dr. Mount also delves into the unique case of Point Roberts, an isolated U.S. enclave south of Vancouver, where decades of border quirks, economic tensions, and pandemic restrictions have created daily complications for residents and visitors alike. From unresolved salmon fishing disputes in the 19th century to contemporary crises triggered by tariffs, carbon taxes, rabies regulations, and Trump-era political turmoil, the story of Point Roberts illustrates how a simple line on a map can create complex consequences for real people on both sides of the border.

Episode 4

In this fourth and final episode, Dr. Graeme Mount examines the last and most politically sensitive chapter in the creation of the Canada–U.S. border: the Alaska boundary dispute. Starting with Russia’s 18th-century exploration and gradual colonization of Alaska, Mount traces how ambiguous treaty language from the 1820s—intended to define the border between Russian America and British North America—set the stage for conflict once gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1898. As fortune seekers funneled through the Lynn Canal and the lawless port of Skagway, Canada hoped to shift the border inland to gain better access and bypass U.S. customs and gang violence. However, diplomatic precedent and international maps overwhelmingly favoured the U.S. claim. Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier’s appeals to British loyalty went nowhere, and a so-called “impartial” tribunal—stacked with U.S. loyalists and a compliant British judge—handed the disputed territory to the Americans by a 4–2 vote. The outcome outraged Canadians, highlighting Britain’s willingness to favour its relationship with Washington over Ottawa. Dr. Mount closes by reflecting on the lasting legacy of the Alaska dispute—not merely as a matter of geography, but as a hard lesson in sovereignty: in foreign affairs, Canada must rely on its own resolve, not the goodwill of its allies. The episode’s final note resonates in our own time, as recent events—such as renewed economic pressure from the United States and perceived diplomatic sidelining by the UK—underscore how fragile and politically contingent border agreements can be.