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.
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