The early exploration of BC Claiming land and searching for trade goods

James Cook Participated in Seven Years War in Cape Breton, Louisbourg Charted Gaspé peninsula in Quebec and Newfoundland coast line 1760s Sailed the Resolution and Discovery in July 1776, sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the Pacific by way of New Zealand, Tahiti, Sandwich Islands, to NW coast of what is now Oregon

Esteban José Martínez After papal bull of 1493 and the treaty of Tordesillas (1494), Spain considered the Pacific coast to be part of her empire to establish Spanish presence, expedition to Queen Charlottes- Haida Gwaii sent 1774 Conflict over Nootka sound with British 1790

Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra explored for Spain Pacific coast from Mexico to Alaska witness in trial for Nootka crisis 1789

Captain George Vancouver British naval officer, worked on James Cook’s ship the Resolution, then the Discovery looking for a Pacific inlet of the Northwest Passage March 1778 Landed at Nootka Sound March 29, first Europeans to land there Cook was killed by Hawaiian First Nations Feb , the rest of the expedition left, arrived in England in 1780

Captain George Vancouver Explored the Caribbean for the next few years, yellow fever and various promotions led him back to an expedition of the Pacific coast the Spanish had claimed all of the Pacific coast from San Francisco to Prince William Sound in Alaska, seized other ships (Sea otter pelts sell in China) Nootka Sound Convention, signed on 28 Oct in Madrid :Spain to make restitution to British subjects whose property had been seized, and abandon claim to exclusive ownership and occupation of the coast next five years he explored the West coast up to the Haida Gwaii and down to Mexico

trade followed exploration as did further exploration international competition (with Spain) new navigational routes and fur trading posts were set up on the coast lines Our BC map is littered with their names..

Nootka Sound location

Gold Rushes in BC was a California Gold Rush BC has two rushes: on the Fraser in 1858 and in the Caribou in plus people ‘rush’ into the BC area, mostly from California pre-Gold Rush Victoria had about 500 HBC employees and their families..

Population Explosion overnight Victoria grew to people More immigrants from Scotland, England, Germany, China Road was tough! Had to purchase license in Victoria, paddle wheel boat to New Westminster, head inland on HBC fur brigade trails May 1862 Caribou Wagon Trail started

Miners miners not 49ers

Gold Rush brings entrepreneurs Dutch and German dance troops the ‘Hurdy Gurdy girls’ Billy Barker and John Cameron find gold in William’s Creek

The Gold Rush continues into 1860s Chinese immigration brought farmers, Laundromats, the Chinese opera and a Chinatown to Barkerville and other communities

A song from the Cali gold rush..