FREE ESSAY ON WEBSTER-ASHBURTON TREATY

WEBSTER-ASHBURTON TREATY

Webster-Ashburton Treaty:
Daniel Webster was motivated to settle the boundary between Maine and New
Brunswick. In 1783, a treaty had been made that awarded the U.S. all land in the area
drained by rivers flowinginto the Atlantic instead of into the St. Lawrence. However,
the
diction of this treaty was not straightforward and the maps were conflicting. In 1842,
Lord Ashburton was sent by the British as a minister, to try and establish all
outstanding
conflicts. Ashburtona adn Webster compromised a boundary. The treaty allowed
Canada to build a military road from Halifax to Quebec while the United States got most
of the disputed territory. Webster agreed to the treaty because he felt that any treaty
made would avoid war. Appeasing Maine and Massachusets was a problem, but Webster
solved it by getting an old map of the area and marked off a line that followed the
British
version of the boundary made by Franklin at the end of the Revolution. He showed the
map to Maine and Mass., and convinced them to agree because otherwise Britain could
demand the whole region. Webster's generosity was admirable and made a lot of sense. 
It caused Lord Ashburton to make concessions in other areas along the
Canadian-American border. Due to America's increasing need to British capitol and
Britain's rising dependancy on foriegn foodstuffs, war, or even conflicts would have
obstructed essential business affairs and produced no compensating gains. This treaty
was a major aid in the avoidance of war.