Editing George Vancouver (section)

==Career==
===Royal Navy===
In 1771, at age 13, Vancouver entered the Royal Navy as a "young gentleman", a future candidate for [[midshipman]].<ref>{{cite book |last1= Landauer |first1= Lyndall Baker |title= Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries |chapter= George Vancouver |volume= 4 |editor-last= Magill |editor-first= Frank N. |location= London |publisher= Routledge |year= 2013 |page= 1355 |isbn= 978-1135924140 }}</ref> He was nominally classified as an able seaman (AB), but sailed as one of the midshipmen<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Robson|first=John|year=2014|title=George Vancouver (1757–1798) Part 1: Introduction and early career|url=https://www.captaincooksociety.com/home/detail/george-vancouver-1757-1798-part-1-introduction-and-early-career|journal=Cook's Log|volume=37|issue=1|pages=28|via=Captain Cook Society|access-date=12 October 2021|archive-date=20 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220193720/https://www.captaincooksociety.com/home/detail/george-vancouver-1757-1798-part-1-introduction-and-early-career|url-status=live}}</ref> aboard {{HMS|Resolution|Cook|6}}, on [[Captain James Cook|James Cook]]'s [[Second voyage of James Cook|second voyage]] (1772–1775) searching for ''[[Terra Australis]]''. He also sailed with Cook's [[Third voyage of James Cook|third voyage]] (1776–1780), this time aboard ''Resolution''{{'}}s companion ship, {{HMS|Discovery|1774}}, and was present during the first European sighting and exploration of the [[Hawaiian Islands]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6771/ | title = Chart of the NW Coast of America and Part of the NE of Asia with the Track of his Majesty's Sloops 'Resolution' and 'Discovery' from May to October 1778 | website = [[World Digital Library]] | year = 1778 | access-date = 27 June 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130605151749/http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6771/ | archive-date = 5 June 2013 | url-status = live }}</ref>

Upon his return to Britain in October 1780, Vancouver was [[commissioned officer|commissioned]] as a lieutenant and posted aboard the [[Sloop-of-war|sloop]] {{HMS|Martin|1761|6}},  initially on escort and patrol duty in the English Channel and North Sea. He accompanied the ship when it left [[Plymouth]] on 11 February 1782 for the West Indies. On 7 May 1782 he was appointed fourth lieutenant of the 74-gun [[ship of the line]] {{HMS|Fame|1759|6}}, which was at the time part of the British West Indies Fleet and assigned to patrolling the French-held [[Leeward Islands]]. Vancouver subsequently saw action at the [[Battle of the Saintes]] (April 1782), wherein he distinguished himself. Vancouver returned to England in June 1783.<ref name="vancouverarchives">{{cite web|author1= Sue Bigelow|title= Captain George Vancouver: original documents|url= http://www.vancouverarchives.ca/2013/06/20/captain-george-vancouver-original-documents/|publisher= City of Vancouver Archives|date= 20 June 2013|access-date= 8 August 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160913124351/http://www.vancouverarchives.ca/2013/06/20/captain-george-vancouver-original-documents/|archive-date= 13 September 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Spanish Empire-sponsored voyages===
In the late 1780s, the [[Spanish Empire]] commissioned an expedition to the Pacific Northwest. In 1789, the [[Nootka Crisis]] developed, and Spain and Britain came close to war over ownership of [[Nootka Sound]] on contemporary [[Vancouver Island]], and – of greater importance – over the right to colonise and settle the [[West Coast of the United States|Pacific Northwest coast]]. [[Henry Roberts (Royal Navy officer)|Henry Roberts]] had recently taken command of the survey ship {{HMS|Discovery|1789|6}} (a new vessel named in honour of the ship on Cook's voyage) with the prospect of another round-the-world voyage, and Roberts selected Vancouver as his first lieutenant, but they both were then posted to other warships due to the crisis. Vancouver went with [[Joseph Whidbey]] to the 74-gun ship of the line {{HMS|Courageux|1761|6}}. 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.<ref>{{cite journal|author= King, Robert J. |title= George Vancouver and the contemplated settlement at Nootka Sound|journal= The Great Circle|volume= 32|issue= 1 |year= 2010|pages= 6–34}}
</ref><ref name="Allen">
{{cite book
|author=Allen, Richard Edward
|title=A Pictorial History of Vancouver, Book 1
|publisher=Josten's Publications
|year=1982
}}
</ref>

===Explorations===
[[File:Gold covered George Vancouver statue.png|thumb|Life-sized [[gilded]] statue of George Vancouver on the [[British Columbia Legislative Buildings]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia]]]]

====Vancouver Expedition====
{{Main|Vancouver Expedition}}
Departing England with two ships, HMS ''Discovery'' and {{HMS|Chatham|1788|6}}, on 1 April 1791, Vancouver commanded an expedition charged with exploring the Pacific region. In its first year the expedition travelled to Cape Town, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and [[Hawaii]] (then known as the [[Sandwich Islands]]), collecting botanical samples and surveying coastlines along the way. He formally claimed at Possession Point, [[King George Sound]] Western Australia, which  became the town of [[Albany, Western Australia]], for the British. Proceeding to North America, Vancouver followed the coasts of modern-day [[Oregon]] and Washington northward. In April 1792 he encountered American Captain [[Robert Gray (sea-captain)|Robert Gray]] off the coast of Oregon just prior to Gray's sailing up the [[Robert Gray's Columbia River expedition|Columbia River]].

Vancouver entered the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]], between [[Vancouver Island]] and the modern Washington state mainland, on 29 April 1792. His orders included a survey of every inlet and outlet on the west coast of the mainland, all the way north to Alaska. Most of this work was in small craft propelled by both sail and oar; manoeuvring larger sail-powered vessels in uncharted waters was generally impractical and dangerous.

Vancouver named many features for his officers, friends, associates, and his ship ''Discovery'', including:
* [[Mount Baker]] – after ''Discovery's'' 3rd Lieutenant [[Joseph Baker (captain)|Joseph Baker]], the first on the expedition to spot it
* [[Mount St. Helens]] –  after his friend, [[Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens]]
* [[Puget Sound]] – after ''Discovery's'' 2nd lieutenant [[Peter Puget]],<ref name=wing>{{cite book
|author1=Wing, Robert  |author2=Newell, Gordon
|title=Peter Puget: Lieutenant on the Vancouver Expedition, fighting British naval officer, the man for whom Puget Sound was named
|publisher=Gray Beard Publishing
|year=1979|isbn=0-933686-00-5
}}</ref> who explored its southern reaches.
* [[Mount Rainier]] –  after his friend, Rear Admiral [[Peter Rainier (Royal Navy officer, born 1741)|Peter Rainier]].
* [[Port Gardner]] and [[Port Susan]], Washington –  after his former commander Vice Admiral [[Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner|Sir Alan Gardner]] and his wife Susannah, Lady Gardner.
* [[Whidbey Island]] – after naval engineer [[Joseph Whidbey]].
* [[Discovery Passage]], [[Discovery Island (British Columbia)|Discovery Island]], [[Discovery Bay, Washington|Discovery Bay]], [[Port Discovery, Washington|Port Discovery]] and [[Discovery Park (Seattle)]].
* [[Orford Reef]], after [[Horace Walpole]]
After a Spanish expedition in 1791, Vancouver was the second European to enter [[Burrard Inlet]] on 13 June 1792, naming it for his friend [[Sir Harry Burrard-Neale, 2nd Baronet|Sir Harry Burrard]]. It is the modern-day main harbour area of the City of Vancouver beyond [[Stanley Park]]. He surveyed [[Howe Sound]] and [[Jervis Inlet]] over the next nine days.<ref>Little, Gary. [http://www.garylittle.ca/van250.html George Vancouver (1757–2007). 250th Birth Anniversary, Survey of the Southwest Coast of BC, June 1792] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009220119/http://www.garylittle.ca/van250.html |date=9 October 2007 }}</ref> Then, on his 35th birthday on 22 June 1792, he returned to [[West Point Grey|Point Grey]], the present-day location of the [[University of British Columbia]]. Here he unexpectedly met a Spanish expedition led by [[Dionisio Alcalá Galiano]] and [[Cayetano Valdés y Flores]]. Vancouver was ''"mortified"'' (''his word'') to learn they already had a crude chart of the [[Georgia Strait|Strait of Georgia]] based on the 1791 exploratory voyage of [[José María Narváez]] the year before, under command of [[Francisco de Eliza]]. For three weeks they cooperatively explored the Georgia Strait and the [[Discovery Islands]] area before sailing separately towards [[Nootka Sound]].

After the summer surveying season ended, in August 1792, Vancouver went to Nootka, then the region's most important harbour, on contemporary Vancouver Island. Here he was to receive any British buildings and lands returned by the Spanish from claims by Francisco de Eliza for the [[Spanish crown]]. The Spanish commander, [[Juan Francisco Bodega y Quadra]], was very cordial and he and Vancouver exchanged the maps they had made, but no agreement was reached; they decided to await further instructions. At this time, they decided to name the large island on which Nootka was proven to be located as ''Quadra and Vancouver Island''. Years later, as Spanish influence declined, the name was shortened to simply [[Vancouver Island]].<ref>''The Voyage of George Vancouver 1791–1795, Volume 1''. W. Kaye Lamb (ed.). Hakluyt Society. 1984. {{ISBN|978-0-904180-17-6}}. p. 247</ref>

[[File:The Discovery on the rocks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|The ''Discovery'' ran aground in early August 1792 on hidden rocks in [[Queen Charlotte Strait]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]], near Fife Sound.]]
While at Nootka Sound Vancouver acquired Robert Gray's chart of the lower Columbia River. Gray had entered the river during the summer before sailing to Nootka Sound for repairs. Vancouver realised the importance of verifying Gray's information and conducting a more thorough survey. In October 1792, he sent Lieutenant [[William Robert Broughton]] with several boats up the [[Columbia River]]. Broughton got as far as the [[Columbia River Gorge]], sighting and naming [[Mount Hood]].<ref name="Etulain2004">{{cite book|last=Etulain|first=Richard W.|title=Western Lives: A Biographical History Of The American West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8yXv_OdXxBUC&pg=PA97|year=2004|publisher=UNM Press|isbn=978-0-8263-3472-5|pages=97–101|access-date=2 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610105943/https://books.google.com/books?id=8yXv_OdXxBUC&pg=PA97|archive-date=10 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Vancouver sailed south along the coast of Spanish [[Alta California]], entered [[San Francisco Bay]], later visiting [[Monterey, California|Monterey]]; in both places, he was warmly received by the Spanish.<ref name="Rolle">{{Cite book |last=Rolle |first=Andrew |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/13333829 |title=California: A History |publisher=Harlan Davidson |year=1987 |isbn=0-88295-839-9 |edition=4th |location=Arlington Heights, IL |pages=78–79 |oclc=13333829 |access-date=18 June 2021 |archive-date=20 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154843/https://www.worldcat.org/title/california-a-history/oclc/13333829 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later he visited [[Chumash people|Chumash]] villages at [[Point Conception]] and near [[Mission San Buenaventura]].<ref name="nps.gov">McLendon, Sally and Johnson, John R. (1999). [http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/chis/chumash.pdf ''Cultural Affiliation and Lineal Descent of Chumash Peoples in the Channel Islands and the Santa Monica Mountains''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531221633/http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/chis/chumash.pdf |date=31 May 2009 }} Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History pp. 139–40 (98–99) Accessed 18 June 2010</ref> Vancouver spent the winter in continuing exploration of the [[Hawaiian Islands|Sandwich Islands]], the contemporary name of the islands of Hawaii.

====Further explorations====
The next year, 1793, he returned to [[British Columbia]] and proceeded further north, unknowingly missing the overland explorer [[Alexander Mackenzie (explorer)|Alexander Mackenzie]] by only 48 days. He got to 56°30'N, having explored north from Point Menzies in Burke Channel to the northwest coast of [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]]. He sailed around the latter island, as well as circumnavigating [[Revillagigedo Island]] and charting parts of the coasts of [[Mitkof Island|Mitkof]], [[Zarembo Island|Zarembo]], [[Etolin Island|Etolin]], [[Wrangell Island|Wrangell]], [[Kuiu Island|Kuiu]] and [[Kupreanof Island]]s.<ref name=Vancouver1801>{{cite book
 |author1     = Vancouver, George
 |author2     = Vancouver, John
 |title       = A voyage of discovery to the North Pacific ocean, and round the world
 |publisher   = J. Stockdale
 |year        = 1801
 |location    = London
 |url         = https://archive.org/details/avoyagediscover00vancgoog
 |access-date = 2 January 2016
}}</ref> With worsening weather, he sailed south to Alta California, hoping to find [[Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra|Bodega y Quadra]] and fulfil his territorial mission, but the Spaniard was not there. The Spanish governor refused to let a foreign official into the interior. Vancouver noted that the region's "only defenses against foreign attack are a few poor cannons".<ref name=Rolle/> He again spent the winter in the Sandwich Islands.

In 1794, he first went to [[Cook Inlet]], the northernmost point of his exploration, and from there followed the coast south. Boat parties charted the east coasts of [[Chichagof Island|Chichagof]] and [[Baranof Island]]s, circumnavigated [[Admiralty Island]], explored to the head of [[Lynn Canal]], and charted the rest of Kuiu Island and nearly all of Kupreanof Island.<ref name=Vancouver1801/> He then set sail for [[Great Britain]] by way of [[Cape Horn]], returning in September 1795, thus completing a [[circumnavigation]] of [[South America]].