Meanwhile, on the Northwest Coast, a very different fur trade and dynamic was developing quite independently of what was going on in the rest of the continent. The last part of North America to be explored by the Europeans, it was during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that empires and commercial systems converged on the Northwest Coast by sea as well as by land.
Russian maritime fur trading in the northern Pacific began after the
exploration voyages of Vitus Bering in 1741 and 1742. His voyages demonstrated that Asia and North America were not connected but that
sea voyages were feasible, and the region was rich in furs. In 1768 the Russian
navy started exploring further along the coastline and the Aleutian Islands to
claim land for Russia and, in 1784, the first settlement on Kodiak Island was
established.
All this Russian activity prompted the Spanish to step up their efforts to claim territory they believe belonged to them ever since Balboa had crossed the Isthmus of Panama and laid claim to all shores washed by the Pacific Ocean. From 1774 onwards the Spanish launched exploration voyages to the north and began to colonize California. By 1782 they had set up bases in San Diego, Monterey, and San Francisco.
Then just as it seemed Russia and Spain were
going to make direct contact with one another, the British arrived. In 1778
while searching for the fabled Northwest Passage, James Cook arrived at Nootka
Sound during his 3rd voyage. Cook spent a month in Nootka Sound (Friendly Cove) during which he
and his crew traded with the Nuu-chah-nulth.
They ended up with over 300 furs, mostly sea
otter, but thought them of no great value. Later, after Cook had been
killed in Hawaii, the expedition visited Canton and were surprised by how much
money the Chinese were willing to pay for the furs. A profit of 1,800% was made.
Word of the value of sea otter pelts spread among
traders, and by 1785 James Hanna had made a fortune trading iron bars for furs
in Nootka Sound and then selling the furs in Macao. Other merchants followed in
his wake, and the Northwest Coast soon became inundated with traders of many
nationalities.
Faced with so many traders seeking to buy their sea
otter pelts, the Indigenous people of the Northwest Coast responded shrewdly.
As the demand for furs increased, the prices set by Indigenous traders
skyrocketed in the years after Cook's initial voyage.
While the fur trade also included beaver and other mammals, the most
profitable furs were those of the sea otter, especially the northern sea otter. Sea
otters possess a thicker fur than any other mammal, and the sea otter's habit
of grooming their coat prevents molting. The reason for their exploitation was
due to this dark, thick, and silver tipped fur. The popularity and demand
in fashion for sea otter pelts in China was one of the reasons why it was
hunted to the point of extinction.
The Chinese sought this mammal's fur due to its great commercial value
and its all year long "prime coat". The pelt was used by the wealthy Chinese as a clothing decoration (robe trimming) and the Russians used it as an ornamental
piece. The other furs that were sent to Europe and America were changed to coat
collars or hats.
With all
this activity it didn’t take long for Europeans and First Nations to get their
political and commercial activities intertwined and force changes to the
existing order and, in 1789, the Nootka Crisis became a pivotal moment for the
Northwest Coast.
In late 1789, British, American, and Spanish vessels
met in Nootka Sound, much to the frustration of the Spanish, who claimed sole
possession of the Northwest Coast. The commander of the Spanish fort at Nootka,
Esteban Jose Martinez tried to arrest James Colnett, an English captain and, in
the heat of argument, ended up accidentally killing Chief Callicum, a relative
of Chief Maquinna. This caused Maquinna and his people to retreat to the forest and refuse to have any further dealings with the Europeans.
Once news of Colnett's and Martínez's actions
reached Europe, Spain and England stood poised for war over Nootka Sound and
the Northwest Coast. Both claimed the right of first possession but, in the
end, Spain had to accept a diplomatic settlement known as the 1790 Nootka
Convention and turn over certain lands to Britain.
In order to enforce the settlement decided by the 1790
Nootka Convention, representatives of England and Spain met at Nootka Sound in
1792. To investigate and establish their claims in the Pacific Northwest, the
Spanish sent Don Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, and the English
dispatched Captain George Vancouver.
Unlike Martínez and Colnett, Vancouver and Bodega y
Quadra were patient and level-headed men and, instead of arguing, these men
spent their time dining on each other's ships and being entertained in
Nuu-chah-nulth villages. They re-established cordial relations with Chief
Maquinna, who returned to his home on Nootka Sound after he was assured that
Martínez was no longer in command there.
The two captains also agreed to explore the region
further and to share their geographic knowledge with each other. Their
explorations filled in many of the blank spaces on European’s maps. Bodega y
Quadra and his party circumnavigated Vancouver Island, proving that it was not part
of the mainland, as previous explorers had thought.
Because Vancouver and Quadra shared
information, both parties learned that Puget Sound could be a fantastic harbor
for large ships. It became apparent that Nootka Sound was not the only good
port north of San Francisco and that Nootka's strategic significance had been
overrated. Quadra subsequently turned the Spanish fort at Nootka over
to the English and moved his men south to San Francisco where in 1819 the 42nd
latitude of New Spain was subsequently determined to be the northernmost edge
of Spain's possessions.
Over the next three years Vancouver continued
mapping and exploring the Northwest Coast and, amongst his many accomplishments,
Vancouver determined that
the Northwest Passage did not exist at the latitudes that had long been suggested.
His
charts of the Northwest Coast were so extremely accurate they served as the key
reference for coastal navigation for generations to follow. However, while he
maintained good relations with the First Nations he encountered, Vancouver also
took it upon himself to name every inlet, island, and landmark after friends
and members of the British royalty with no regard for the First Nation names
that already existed.