What did george vancouver discover
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In 1792, Great Britain became the first European nation to explore Puget Sound when an expedition under the command of Capt. George Vancouver entered from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and spent two months exploring the inland waters.
Vancouver was only 34 years old in 1792, but he was a veteran explorer and familiar with the Northwest, having served as a lieutenant on Capt. James Cook’s third voyage to the Pacific. On that voyage, Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to visit the Hawaiian Islands; they also landed on present-day Vancouver Island — without realizing it was an island.
In April 1792 Vancouver sailed east up the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Puget Sound, and spring was in its glory. The Cascade Mountains were snowy, the sky was brilliant blue, the deep-green forests came nearly to the water’s edge in places, and the shoreline was studded with scenic small islands. Along the strait, before entering the sound, Vancouver wrote in his official narrative: “I could not possibly believe that any cultivated country had ever been discovered exhibiting so rich a pictu
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The role George Vancouver played in Oregon history is tangential, yet it is foundational to the developments that radically changed the region during the early nineteenth century. In 1791-1795, Vancouver led the most thorough scientific maritime exploration of the Northwest Coast of North America, which included the creation and publication of detailed maps of the coastlines of present-day Oregon and Washington and the complex waterways of Puget Sound. Vancouver and his officers laid down dozens of place-names in the region, including Mount Rainier, for British Rear Admiral Peter Rainier, and Mount Hood, for Lord Samuel Hood of the British Admiralty Board. Most important, in October 1792, Vancouver sent two longboats under Lt. William Broughton one hundred miles up the Columbia River, an expedition that produced a detailed map of the lower river. When published in 1798 in Vancouver’s A Voyage of Discovery, Broughton’s map became the first to accurately represent the lower Columbia River. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark used the map to orient themselves on the river in 1805.
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Captain George Vancouver: Exploring the Legacy of an Adventurous Explorer
The Age of Discovery witnessed the remarkable exploits of numerous intrepid explorers who traversed uncharted territories, expanding our knowledge of the world. Among them, Captain George Vancouver stands out as a legendary figure whose expeditions left an indelible mark on the exploration of the Pacific Northwest. In this blog post, we will delve into the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Captain George Vancouver, shedding light on his significant contributions to maritime exploration and cartography.
Image from John Horton
George Vancouver's Early Life and Naval Career:
George Vancouver was born on June 22, 1757, in King's Lynn, England. His passion for the sea led him to join the Royal Navy at the tender age of 13. Vancouver's early naval career involved extensive service in the Caribbean and later in the American Revolutionary War. His exceptional skills as a surveyor and cartographer were recognized by his superiors, paving the way for his future exploratory endeavors.
The Vancou
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