Portal:Michigan/Selected article/7

The Toledo War (1835–1836) was the bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan. Varying interpretations of the laws caused the governments of both Ohio and Michigan to claim sovereignty over a 468 square mile (1,210 km²) region, now known as the Toledo Strip. When Michigan sought statehood in the early 1830s, it included the disputed territory within its boundaries; Ohio's Congressional delegation was able to halt Michigan's admission to the Union. State militias were sent to the Maumee River. Besides mutual taunting there was little interaction between the two forces. The single military confrontation of the "war" ended with a report of shots being fired into the air, incurring no casualties. Michigan, facing a financial crisis, surrendered the land and accepted a compromise from the U.S. Congress. It gave up its claim in exchange for statehood and approximately three-quarters of the Upper Peninsula. The discovery of copper and iron deposits in the Upper Peninsula offset Michigan's losses. Differences of opinion about the exact boundary continued until a re-survey performed in 1915. Upon completion, the two states' governors shook hands at the border. In modern times, conflict between the states is restricted primarily to the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry in American football.