British Columbia History up to 1871 Quiz

Answer: Juan Pérez

In 1774, Spanish explorer Juan Pérez navigated the waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, but did not make a landing. Later, in 1789, the Spaniards used Pérez's voyage to argue in favour of Spanish ownership of the Nootka Sound area. The Spaniards nearly went to war with the British over this issue.

The dispute was resolved in favour of Britain in 1790. The Spaniards had produced no maps of the region, which weakened their claim, while the British had fully mapped the coastline.

Answer: Captain James Cook

James Cook travelled up the west coast of North America in 1778, landing at Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Cook's extensive maps of the west coast helped Great Britain lay claim to the territory that later became British Columbia. George Vancouver navigated the waters off the Pacific northwest between 1792 and 1795. Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser made overland journeys across British Columbia in 1793 and 1805 respectively.

Answer: The Hudson's Bay Company

Between 1800 and 1820, the Northwest Company and the Hudson's Bay Company vied for control of the fur trade in what is now British Columbia. By 1820, the Hudson's Bay Company had taken over the Northwest Company, so becoming the sole proprietor of the fur trade in the region. Top officials of the Hudson's Bay Company went on to become senior officials in the colonial governments of British Columbia and Vancouver Island in the 1850s and 1860s.

Answer: The James Douglas Treaties

The 14 treaties mentioned above were signed with the Coast Salish natives in the immediate vicinity of Fort Victoria, Fort Rupert, and Nanaimo. The Coast Salish natives were provided with blankets, and in exchange they gave up most of the land they lived on.

After 1854, James Douglas stopped signing treaties with the "First Nations" on Vancouver Island. In the late 19th century the federal government signed a treaty with the "First Nations" peoples in northwestern British Coulmbia. These 14 treaties remained the only ones signed with the "First Nations" peoples of British Columbia until the British Columbia government signed the Nisga'a Treaty in 1998.

Answer: New Westminster

The colony of British Columbia was established in 1858, and in 1859 New Westminster became its capital. In 1866, the colony of British Columbia merged with the colony of Vancouver Island to become the single colony of British Columbia. Two years later, in 1868, the capital of British Columbia was moved to Victoria, the former capital of Vancouver Island.

Answer: Barkerville

William "Billy" Barker found gold on Williams Creek in 1862. The town of Barkerville, named after Billy Barker, sprang up on the site, and thrived as the centre of the Cariboo Gold Rush until 1870. After 1870, Barkerville went into a slow decline, becoming a ghost town by the 1930s.

In 1958 the province of British Columbia took control of the town and turned it into a historic site. Wells, Quesnel, and Williams Lake are other towns in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. Wells is only five minutes from Barkerville.

Answer: Smallpox epidemic

In 1854, representatives from the "First Nations" on Vancouver Island were camped out near Fort Victoria. They hoped that James Douglas would sign treaties with them as he had done with the "First Nations" living in the area. When James Douglas decided to end the treaty negotiations, he ordered the "First Nations" peoples back to their villages.

As the "First Nations" peoples returned to their villages, they took a smallpox epidemic with them. The smallpox epidemic spread among the "First Nations" along the coast.

The "First Nations" population, having stabilized after previous outbreaks of disease earlier in the century, was further decimated by the smallpox epidemic of 1854. The epidemic sent the "First Nations" population of British Columbia into a decline that did not end till the 1950s, by which time the "First Nations" peoples accounted for only 2% of the population.

Answer: Victoria

Victoria, also known at this time as Fort Victoria (after the Hudson's Bay Company's trading post there), became the capital of the new colony of Vancouver Island in 1849. In 1866, Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia. Victoria became the capital of British Columbia in 1868.

Answer: James Douglas

James Douglas also served as the second Governor of Vancouver Island from 1851 to 1863, taking over from Richard Blanshard, who served from 1849 to 1851. In 1864, Frederick Seymour replaced James Douglas as Governor of British Columbia.

Answer: 12 Chilcotins killed 18 white men

In 1864, the colonial government of British Columbia began building a road inland from Bute Inlet to the Cariboo region. Members of the Chilcotin First Nation, who lived in the area, perceived the Bute Inlet road as an invasion of their territory. Eventually, 5 members of the Chilcotin First Nation were charged with the murder of 8 white men in connection with the Bute Inlet Massacre.

The Bute Inlet Massacre was a major factor in the hardening of the white settlers' attitudes towards the "First Nations" peoples after 1864.