TOWARD THE
PACIFIC COAST
C
Cluster 2 British North America
Pacific
Northwest
Rupert's Land
The Rising of Importance of the
Pacific Coast
British, Russian and Spanish Imperialism
Details
Russian empire owned Alaska at this
time was sending fur traders down
the coast
Spain stated it owned the Pacific
Coast from San Francisco to Alaska
Britain disputed Spain's claim, the
Navy still searching for a NW Passage
and the HBC still wanted to pursue
trade further west.
Impact /Consequences
1789 -Britain sent an expedition to the
Pacific.
The ship Discovery commanded by
George Vancouver was sent to receive
the surrender of a Spanish post in BC
Vancouver made detailed maps of the
Pacific Coast and a series of
agreements with Spain.
Spain Surrendered its claim on the
Pacific coast to Britain
Imperialism - - is a policy (way of governing) in which large or powerful countries
seek to extend their authority beyond their own borders.
Explorations of : Peter Pond, Alexander
Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and David
Thompson pg. 159
Details
Impact/ Consequences
Peter Pond 1st to explore canoe
routes in the Lake Athabasca Region
Solidified Britain's claim to the land
West of the Prairies.
Alexander Mackenzie 1st European to
travel across North America North of
Mexico
Gained knowledge of the land and
open the way for settlers
Simon Fraser 1st European to establish
settlement in Fraser river Area ( BC)
David Thompson mapped over 3.9
million square kms of North America
Created contact with first nations
people to benefit the Fur trade
Expansion of HBC and the Interest in
the west by the province of Canada
Details
Impact/ Consequences
HBC expands west and establishes more
outposts trying to expand its monopoly
Fort Victoria 1843
The Citizens in Canada East and West
put pressure on the government to
acquire Rupert's Land from the HBC
With the influx of Loyalists from the states
and all the best farmland already taken,
Immigrants started to look to the west for
the resources it had to get raw materials
for manufactured goods
Province of Canada needs to assess
the value of the West
The Province of Canada started lobbying
the colonial government to take over the
land form the HBC
Palliser and Hind Expeditions
Details
Funded by HBC and British Colonial
Office
Palliser -Sent to collect data on first
nations, if transportation would be
possible, to see if the region could be
farmed
Hind mapped Manitoba and
Saskatchewan
Impact/Consequences
Found good farm land
Transportation to it was possible a
good place for immigration
Made the Province of Canada eager
to Annex the land from the HBC
Threat of US Expansion
Details
Impact/ Consequences
Both Britain and US laid claim to the
Pacific North West
Britain and the HBC dont want the USA
to annex the Pacific Northwest
1820s and 1830s they had joint control
HBC establishes the colonies of
Vancouver Island and British Columbia
to solidify their claim North of the 49th
parallel.
USA under president James Polk
eventually wanted ALL of the
Northwest to the 59th parallel
Britain didnt recognize this claim
Eventual compromise of the 49th
parallel
The Gold Rush
Details
The USA wanted the PNW because of
the 1858 discovery of gold in the
Thompson and Cariboo Rivers
1000s of miners rushed to the Fraser
River area making it Canadas 1st
gold rush.
Impact/ Consequence
Caused population to explode in the
area
Caused roads to be built for easier
access for immigration
Solidified British Control over the region.
Fraser Canyon War
Details
American miners flooded the areawhere First Nations lived, miners often
being drunk and rowdy
This caused fights and violence with
the First Nations in the area
Started the Fraser Canyon War in the
winter of 1858-1859
Impact/ Consequences
6 Treaties for peace had to be signed
Snyder Treaties
First nations people died contracted
diseases from Europeans
Dispossession of First Nations
Details
2 things had the largest impact on First
Nations in the Pacific Northwest
1: intense fur trading from 1821-1840
2: The Gold Rush
Impact/ Consequence
Fur trade- caused first nations to
abandon their traditional homeland for
land closer to the forts brought disease
and banned traditional ceremonies
Potlach
Gold Rush- brought disease and war to
tribes living in the PNW.
In 3 years 20,000 first nations people had
died
Governor Douglas of the colonies ( BC
and Van Islnd) told first nations they could
only live on the reserves if they adopted a
European way of life farming.
The Road to Confederation
1867
Reasons for Confederation
1:Political Deadlock
2: Trade
3: Economic Problems
