At the Far Reaches of Empire

Download or read book At the Far Reaches of Empire written by Freeman M. Tovell and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Capitán de Navío Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was the most important Spanish naval officer on the Northwest Coast in the eighteenth century. Serving from 1774 to 1794, he participated in the search for the Northwest Passage and, with George Vancouver, endeavoured to forge a diplomatic resolution to the Nootka Sound controversy between Spain and Britain. Freeman Tovell’s thorough and nuanced study presents this officer as a key figure in the history of the region. Bodega's accomplishments place him in the company of Bering, Cook, Vancouver, La Pérouse, and Malaspina – those who advanced a better understanding of the geography, ethnography, and natural history of the area.