No Disappointment: Alternate Pacific Northwest History

[PCSwitaj]

In real history, reports of a mighty river in the Pacific Northwest had been reported when the Spanish under Bruno de Heceta sighted the river in 1775. However, he did not go up river, and it wouldn't be until 12 May 1792 when American Robert Gray set sail up the river.

However, in 1788 a British fur trade captain, John Meares, had set sail in search of the river. He can very close to discovering it and sailing upstream: After a search and concluding the river was not there, he located and named Cape Disappointment, never realizing that this cape was in fact the northern edge of the mouth of the river.

So what if Meares had in fact found the river in 1788? For one, the river would not be named the Columbia; this name came from Gray's ship, the Columbia Rediviva. Would Meares name the river after himself, his ship (not sure of its name), or something else?

What of Meares' reputation with this discovery? Meares is most remembered for causing the Nootka Crisis which led to Vancouver's Expedition of the region, and is also remembered as a liar based off of conflicts between among others himself and George Dixon, another Briton who explored the area and discovered the Queen Charlotte Islands. Would his discovery of the *Columbia River be enough to make him remembered evenly if not favorably?

The small claims Meares made in the region where used by the British to stake their claim to the region against those of the United States, which could be considered stronger with Gray's trip and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Would this discovery seal British claims to the region to a point where the Americans have issues moving in? Would there be more British settlement in the area, or would Americans still settle to the point that a compromise may need to be made?

How would all this change if John Meares was not disappointed in his search?

 

[Falastur]

I couldn't guess how history would be changed by this. I can, however, tell you that Meares' ship was the Nootka - I can only presume named after the location since this name comes from a pronunciation of a native word. Thus, I doubt this ship would provide the river's name. Considering that Meares founded the Northwest Company, owned a ship named the North West America and wrote a paper about claims to North West America, I can see him naming the river North West River...

 

[MacCaulay]

What were the borders if BNA and the Spanish claims at the time? Would knowing the path of this river have affected that?

 

[HARRY]

Well judging by what the Internet pages on Meares say he would have named the river after himself. If he was half decent he would name it after his rescuer Dixon and if he was a real explorer he would name it after the idiot who sponsored the journey.

 

[PCSwitaj]

Added a map of claims in 1800 (a little bit after the POD, but it still gives an idea of the "openness" of the area) as well as the farthest reaches of the initial American and British ventures upriver. I apologize in advance if the size is an issue:

 

[Geekhis Khan]

A lot depends on if this earlier discovery leads to earlier British large-scale settlement. If this gives the UK a lead then it gives them the advantage in the "Oregon race".

 

[PCSwitaj]

Well, since I did post this What If? I guess I'd better put down something myself eh? As a note, the light pink on the small map is claimed but not controled, so to speak; here goes:
---
Summer 1788: John Meares, a British fur trader and captain, is about to give up search of a large river in the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. First reported by Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta in 1775, this great river seems to have slipped out of existence; frustrated, he is about to give up looking and conclude that the river does not exist. Instead, he decides to give it one more day, and for the night anchors off of a large cape. With dawn the next day, the captain seems to have an epiphany, and soon sails south; he has guessed correctly – the Cape is, in fact, the northern end of the mouth of this great river. He soon sails into the bay, and is met by canoes. After spending two weeks in the bay, during which time a smaller boat is sent up river, Meares departs from the river (which he has named after himself) and sets sail for the Sandwich Islands.
Word of the discovery of the Meares River (OTL Columbia) reaches London about the same time as reports of Spanish activity in the region – the Nootka Crisis is sparked. The Vancouver Expedition sets sail on 1 April 1971 under the command of George Vancouver. By 1792 they have reached the Pacific Northwest; however, this expedition has one more ship then it possessed in OTL. On 28 April this additional ship sets sail up the Meares and disembarks toward the back of the bay; Fort Vancouver is created later that week (at the OTL located of Fort Astoria/Fort George).
By the end of the century, there is a decent British presence in the area. The Meares is explored as far upriver as the Snake River; also, the Georges River (OTL Willamette River in Oregon) has been explored to its source. Perhaps more significantly, settlement at a second fort built farther down the river, Fort Francis Drake (built at OTLs Fort Vancouver) has grown large enough that a town has sprung up; it seems quite fitting to the inhabitants that their town, Drakestown, which is named for the famed explorer Sir Francis Drake, is for all intents and purposes the capital of the British territory of New Albion.

 

[foresterab]

Not a bad start but british claims through the Hudson's Bay Company extended further west than you show in your map. I've attached some reference works and would also recomend searching out Anthony Hendy, Simon Fraser and David Thompson (major explorers of the west).

Two General descriptions
http://www.canadiana.org/hbc/_popups/PAMhbc1764-1820_e.htm
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=...2NHrAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image

Decent Overview
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/FurTradeCanada.htm

National Archives of forts and year of establishment (also lots of other good reference maps)
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/archives/4thedition/historical/079_80

 

[False Dmitri]

This is a really interesting idea.

Exceedingly minor nitpick: the flag. I think that adding the St. George's cross to the Blue Ensign is an attempt to be different, but it realyl has no precedent in British flag design. A defaced blue or red ensign is most likely, not some combination of the Blue and the White. And putting red directly on blue violates the rule of tincture, which the British flags adhere to in general.

Other than that, again, I really like this idea.

 

[Thande]

Exceedingly minor nitpick: the flag. I think that adding the St. George's cross to the Blue Ensign is an attempt to be different, but it realyl has no precedent in British flag design.

This may be inspired by the flag of my ENA in LTTW, which does in fact have the precedent of being the armourial banner of colonial Virginia.

Interesting idea, and as it is relevant to my interests I will keep tabs upon it.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

This is kinda neat. Will we see the Yankees and Brits get into an even more heated Oregon conflict over this?

 

[Thande]

This is kinda neat. Will we see the Yankees and Brits get into an even more heated Oregon conflict over this?

Don't forget the Spanish. In OTL at this point the Nootka Crisis nearly led to war between Britain and Spain, and this will only exacerbate that situation. The fate of Oregon might well be decided long before the USA is in a position to stake a claim.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

That doesn't mean Manifest Destiny won't urge them to stake a claim later.

 

[Thande]

That doesn't mean Manifest Destiny won't urge them to stake a claim later.

The idea of Manifest Destiny only came about in the 1840s. With a POD this early an overly expansionist United States could easily be butterflied away. Indeed it's only one year after the US constitution was drafted, so (though it's unlikely at this stage) the USA itself could fall apart.

If it does still happen, it depends on how densely the British (or the Spanish, but that probably wouldn't happen) settle the area. If it's like Australia, the Jonathons might try to stake a claim, but if it's as well-settled as e.g. Upper Canada, they'll probably realise it's more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

I doubt population of the area will cool expansionist fervor (which I do think would still develop in the US). Perhaps it would calm the saber rattling of political leaders, but not the people. And take into account that the United States tried to invade Canada for all its numbers as well, not to mention Mexico.

While a war of conquest may be failed or bloody, I think the Republic could still give it a go should it manage to expand anywhere near the area.

 

[Thande]

I doubt population of the area will cool expansionist fervor (which I do think would still develop in the US). Perhaps it would calm the saber rattling of political leaders, but not the people. And take into account that the United States tried to invade Canada for all its numbers as well, not to mention Mexico.

While a war of conquest may be failed or bloody, I think the Republic could still give it a go.

Another thing you have to consider here is that this is before the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. While it seems the Revolution is unavoidable as it began only the year later and the financial situation was already in place, several important events to do with the US being set on the path towards the country that declared fifty-four forty or fight are contingent on it. Examples:

- Quasi-War, as I said above

- Louisiana Purchase (if Napoleon does a bit better in Haiti, he might try and keep it, and then it might go to Spain or Mexico if he gets defeated)

- War of 1812, obviously

- Revolutions in Spanish America. Largely contingent on the Peninsular War. Avoid the precise circumstances of that, Spanish Empire holds together, and you've got a juggernaut (albeit a doddering one) standing in the way of American westward expansion.

So I repeat that it is not realistic to suggest that history will still play out to deliver an 1840s situation identical to that of OTL. There is too much to get stirred up by this. This will alter Spanish foreign policy towards Britain to start with and that throws a whole monkey wrench into the alliance systems of the First Coalition. The history of the Americas does not happen in isolation to that of Europe.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that should the United States manage to expand westward toward this "New Albion", I believe there is a plausibility that it will set its eye on the Oregon area.

 

[False Dmitri]

I understand that, but what I'm saying is that should the United States manage to expand westward toward this "New Albion", I believe there is a plausibility that it will set its eye on the Oregon area.

There is precedent for the US attempting to conquer British territory in North America. But we failed to get Canada in 1812, where we had the advantage in local numbers and proximity. Any attack on New Albon would depend on getting troops to the West Coast, probably via the Pacific Ocean, where British sea superiority would make it an even tougher prize than Canada.

 

[Geekhis Khan]

Agree w/ majority. *Oregon may now be more trouble than it's worth, though if war breaks out for other reasons there may well be an invasion attempt.

Now, Texas and California, however, offer a more inviting target. As does Cuba. Whether the ATL US can take them...

 

[PCSwitaj]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, I'm suprised by the response.

In terms of the flag, it was more of a last minute "Hey, you know what'd look nice with those maps?" kinda deal and an attempt to do something different, though at the end of the day it wasn't too different afterall .

In terms of where it goes from there, I guess it depends on the level of British settlement in the area. I'm not much an expert in that area though, so if anyone has any ideal what kind of numbers one could see that would be interesting.

I have final exams coming up, but I may take this in and turn it into a TL over the summer, rework what I alread turned in and see what else I can find.