About this Book

"The voyages of Cook and Vancouver heralded a vast influx of irrepressible Europeans -- fur traders, whalers, administrators, visitors, missionaries, miners, botanists, and sailors -- people of every class and distinction. They came to conquer the Pacific, its islands, and its continents for 'God, gold, and glory.' They brought with them their morals, ideologies, knowledge, technology, plants, and animals. They also brought diseases, rum, and guns. They brought with them powers to build and powers to destroy."

-- from the Epilogue

The Northwest Coast was irrevocably changed the day that Captain James Cook sailed into Nootka Sound in 1778. Cook's discovery of the sea otter population along the coast initiated the maritime fur trade, which, in turn, led to feverish competition among several nations, especially Britain, Russia, and the United States, as well as the celebrated rivalry between Spain and Britain for control of Nootka. By 1812, a toe-hold of British empire was established and the aboriginal way of life was shattered.

The Northwest Coast documents Britain's rise to pre-eminence in this far-flung corner of the empire. It shows how the relentless activities of its commercial interests, the adroit use of its naval power, and the steely resolve of its diplomats secured British claims to dominion and rights to trade along the Northwest Coast. Written by a leading maritime scholar and based on fresh research into known manuscripts and printed works on Pacific trade and exploration, this book incorporates new interpretations on exploration and commercial activity in this area. It documents the interaction, often violent, between British sailors and aboriginal people; depicts many of the rivalries among British mariners; and examines various claims to the discovery of the Northwest Passage.

The Northwest Coast significantly expands and updates the author's award-winning book, Distant Dominion. Gough's compelling narrative combined with his extensive use of quotations from the journals and correspondence of explorers and merchant traders provide insights into the motives and attitudes of these early pioneers of the empire.