Explorations Ī life-sized statue covered in gold of George Vancouver on top of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria The Vancouver Expedition ĭeparting England with two ships in April 1791, Vancouver commanded an expedition charged with exploring the Pacific region.
When the first Nootka Convention ended the crisis in 1790, Vancouver was given command of Discovery to take possession of Nootka Sound and to survey the coasts. Vancouver went with Joseph Whidbey to HMS Courageux. Henry Roberts and Vancouver joined Britain's more warlike vessels. Spain and Britain came close to war over ownership of the Nootka Sound on contemporary Vancouver Island, and of greater importance, the right to colonize and settle the Pacific Northwest coast. However, the 1789 Nootka Crisis intervened. In the late 1780s the Spanish empire commissioned an expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
Upon his return to Britain in 1779, Vancouver was commissioned as a lieutenant and posted aboard the sloop Martin surveying coastlines. He also accompanied Cook's third voyage (1776–1778), this time aboard Resolution's sister ship, Discovery, and was present during the first European sighting and exploration of the Hawaiian Islands. He was selected to serve as a midshipman aboard HMS Resolution, on James Cook's second voyage (1772–1775) searching for Terra Australis. In 1771, at the age of 13, George Vancouver entered the Royal Navy as a "young gentleman", a future candidate for midshipman.
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