1. Beautiful British Columbia
The History of Our Province

2. Symbols of British Columbia

3. BC’s natural Beauty and Wildlife

4. Some Attractions

5. Regions of BC and the Largest City: Vancouver

6. BC Government

7. BC Economy

8. BC first Nations Culture

9. But how did BC become a province in Canada?
First, in 1819 the 49th Parallel was chosen as the boundary of USA and Canada from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains – But what about the West coast? Who owned that?

10. Oregon Territory
HBC has trading posts, and doesn’t want settlement to disrupt the Fur Trade
George Simpson Creates Fort Vancouver as center of HBC fur trade in Oregon Territory
USA – Manifest Destiny – are moving in
John McLoughlin of HBC encourages American to settle South of Columbia river

11. Oregon territory: the Boundary
Lots of Americans = need clear boundary
49th Parallel means HBC (Britain) loses Fort Vancouver
1843: Simpson asks James Douglas (Factor at Vancouver) to build new fort on Vancouver Island: Fort Victoria
US President (Polk) is elected with Slogan “54 40 or fight”
1849: Boundary negotiated at 49th, with all Vancouver Island to Britain

12. Colony of Vancouver Island
1848: Britain Creates Colony of Vancouver Island to solidify claim on West Coast
HBC given Trade Monopoly
James Douglas, chief factor of Fort Victoria, made Governor
Land sold to settlers at $5 per acre
Colony booms: coal in Nanaimo & Cumberland, get Navy base in Victoria

13. James Douglas Married to Amelia, a Metis and has 13 children with her
Helps with diplomacy between Europeans and First Nations/ Metis
Started with NWC at 16, quickly promoted and became Chief Factor at Fort Vancouver, then Fort Victoria, 1851: Governor of Colony of Vancouver Island, then of colony of BC
Negotiates Treaties with First Nations on Vancouver Island, setting boundaries paid for land (those who follow him will go back on this deal)
Responsible for Cariboo Mountain Road

14. Government of Vancouver Island
1848 – 1856: James Douglas is in sole control of the colony, executive and legislative councils are appointed, not elected
NOT representative or responsible
1856: get elected Legislative Assembly
Douglas restricts vote to male landowners, and keeps Veto Power

15. And then something happens that changes everything . . .

16. Thar’s GOLD in them thar hills!
The Cariboo Gold Rush

17. Want to find some and get rich?

18. But really, what’s the big deal about gold???
You can pound, twist, bend and stretch it without it breaking or tearing (maleable)
It has 19 times the mass of water, but you can pound it thin enough that it will float to the ground. (gold “leaf)
Acids, salt water and other corrosives can’t hurt it!

19. How gold gets into streams…
“vein” of solid gold
Is exposed at
Earth’s surface
Elements cause
“lode” to break off
Into nuggets

20. Cariboo Gold Rush
1848: California Gold Rush – gold is running out by 1850s
1857: Gold discovered on Thompson and Fraser Rivers
James Douglas fears influx of miners – US annexation and lawlessness
By end of summer 1858, 10,000 miners had arrived
Miners search up river into Interior= Cariboo Gold Rush

21. Colony of British Columbia
1858: colony of British Columbia created to claim land/ settle for Britain (49th – 54 40)
James Douglas as Governor
Matthew Begbie as Chief Justice
Capital city: New Westminster

22. Barkerville Boom town of Cariboo Gold Rush
Named after Billy Barker – struck gold on Williams creek on 1862
Mid 1860s 5,000-10,000 lived in Barkerville
Had general store, houses, post office, hotels, drugstore, barbershop, theatre, literary society
“Hardy Gurdy Girls” - dancers form Germany for Saloon
Citizens from all over world, including American, Chinese, Black

23. Barkerville 1868 – fire destroys city, rebuilt in 3 months
1880s – gold is gone, and by 1920s it is a Ghost town
Present day: it has been restored as a tourist attraction

24. Cariboo Mountain Road
Need road into interior for miners to travel/ access gold
1862: James Douglas starts the Cariboo Wagon Road from Yale to Barkerville = 650 km, 3 years, $750,000
Hope for a toll to pay for it, but Gold rush is over in too late
Result: DEBT for BC

25. NO MORE GOLD!!!
Gold rush ends, people leave, population of 2 colonies drops dramatically ( – less than 10,000)
Less people = less taxes = debt
Vancouver island - $ , BC - $1 million
RESULT:
Colonies United - Called British Columbia, capital was largest Port city: Victoria

26. What are the arguments for each?
Confederation
BC has declining population and Economic problems. Options:
Join Canada (mainland BC)
Join USA (Victoria Merchants)
Stay separate (Vancouver Island)
What are the arguments for each?
What should BC do? (p. 225) .

27. Confederation arguments
1. For Confederation: confederationists
Canada take on BC’s Debt
Want Road from Lake Superior to New Westminster
Want Responsible Government
For Joining USA: annexationists
Washington/ Oregon close by – create permanent market
Against: Anti-confederationists
Maintain tie to Britain, don’t like Canada or USA

28. Confederation
1868:
New Governor for BC , Anthony Musgrave, is friend of John A. Macdonald
Britain didn’t want colony anymore
Musgrave gets Anti-confederationist to create a wish list, and Canada agrees - even to the Railroad
BC unanimously votes to join confederation and becomes a province on July 20, 1871.

29. City of Vancouver Not Vancouver. Settlements in BC developed because
of the Fur trade (posts, ex. Fort Langley),
or because of the Gold Rush.
Not Vancouver.
Thick Forest, no river = no people.
New Westminster was a small settlement at the mouth of the Fraser River, and in 1865 Sewell Moody built Moodyville Sawmill (port Moody), and Edward Stamp built Hastings Mill to profit off Lumber.

30. Hastings Mill, 1902
Specialize in “BC toothpick”: logs 18m long, 1m diameter used for masts in ships and sold all over the world

31. Gastown
John “Gassy Jack” Deighton arrives in 1867 and builds a saloon on Burrard inlet for the Loggers
Area officially called “Granville”, Unofficially “Gastown”

32. Map of Vancouver, 1880

33. Vancouver 1881: Port Moody is Chosen as end of CPR
1884: Van Horne changes location to area he calls “Vancouver” – beside Gastown
1886: CPR is complete and Vancouver is accepted as new city
1890: Vancouver population = 5000
1900: 20,000
2012: 2.5 million

34. so Rapidly into a big City?
Why did Vancouver Grow
so Rapidly into a big City?