History of the Pacific Northwest

Controversy at Nootka Sound Part 2

John Meares was attempting to avoid fines and fees and establish a trading post at Nootka Sound for his own profit and the British Empire.  Jose Esteban Martinez was on his way to erect a fort at the same place.  The two empires would nearly come to war due to the events that followed.
 
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The Maritime Fur Trade and Nootka Sound Controversy Part 1

After Captain Cook's voyage into Nootka Sound, a burgeoning fur trade immerged.  Sailors from Russia, Spain, Great Britain, and the United States would sail to Nootka in search of Sea Otter Pelts.  World empires would vie to claim Nootka Sound for their own which would lead to a controversy between Spain and Great Britain that almost embroiled Europe in a full scale war.
 
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Soft Gold in Nootka Sound

The life of Captain Cook is an impressive one, and he is perhaps one of the greatest navigators to have ever lived.  His final voyage of exploration was to be extremely consequential for the Pacific Northwest.  His crew traded with the people of Nootka Sound for Sea Otter pelts which would come to be known as "soft gold" and would become a major trade good.
 
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Spain Hears a Knock at the Door

With word of Russian fur trapping in the Aleutian Islands as well as the establishment of colonies in Alaska, Spain became very nervous about its place in North America.  The viceroyalty decided to organize expeditions up the Pacific Coast to map the region, search for natural resources, and find places to settle.
 
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Across the Bering Strait

In the 1700s, Russia was on the move and keen on keeping up with the other powers in Europe.  What started as a voyage to discover the Strait of Anian, led to the establishment of Russian colonies in Alaska, as well as a state chartered fur company.  Russia's new dominion would make the Spanish nervous and redirect their attention north to the Pacific Northwest.
 
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The Fur Empire

While the Spanish had dominated South America, the British were establishing a presence in North America.  It was in Hudson Bay that the Titan of the fur trade, the Hudson's Bay Company, was founded.  That fur trade empire would extend its reach across much of North America, and lead the British to establish a claim to the Pacific Northwest.
 
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New World, New Spain, and a Man Named Drake

Before any other European power, Spain claimed all of North America as part of its empire.  They felt secure in the protections granted by the Treaty of Tordesillas.  However, other European powers would come to challenge Spain.  Among those challengers was Sir Francis Drake, whose privateering expeditions led him to be the first European to set eyes upon the Pacific Northwest.
 
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Since Time Immemorial

Native Americans lived and developed complex civilizations in both North and South America and lived there for over 10,000 years before ever coming into contact with Europeans.  The Pacific Northwest was home to many different tribes who lived according to their environment.  This episode will explore the three distinct Native American Cultural Groups that lived in the Northwest.
 
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Flannels and Rain Right?

Welcome to History of the Pacific Northwest!  In this very first episode we will look at the Geographic makeup of the Pacific Northwest as well as what the main focus of this podcast will be.  The Pacific Northwest story is a long one that reaches far beyond the borders of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
 
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