John Kendrick Jr. facts for kids

John Kendrick Jr. (born before April 1772) was an American sailor and explorer. He was also known as Juan Kendrick. John Jr. was the oldest son of John Kendrick. His father was a famous sea captain. He led the first United States trip to the Pacific Northwest. John Jr. was baptized in April 1772 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We don't know his exact birth date.

Joining the Pacific Northwest Expedition

In 1787, John Kendrick Jr. joined his father's big adventure. He went with his younger brother, Solomon Kendrick. They sailed to the Pacific Northwest. Their ship was the Columbia Rediviva. Another ship, the Lady Washington, sailed with them. It was led by Robert Gray. John Kendrick Jr. was an officer on the Columbia. He helped guide the ship.

Joining the Spanish Navy

In 1789, the Columbia and Lady Washington were at Santa Cruz de Nuca. This was a Spanish naval base. It was located in Nootka Sound. This was when the Nootka Crisis began. During this time, John Kendrick Jr. made a big decision. He decided to leave his father's ship. He joined the Spanish Navy instead. He also changed his religion to Catholicism. While with the Spanish, he was known as Juan Kendrick. He worked for the Spanish Navy in San Blas, Nayarit. This base managed naval trips on the west coast of North America.

Family and Revenge

In late 1794, John Kendrick Sr. met his son "Juan" again. This meeting happened at Nootka Sound. John Sr. had been on many voyages across the Pacific. Juan Kendrick was now the captain of a Spanish ship. It was called the Aranzazu. Father and son shared important news. Juan learned that his brother Solomon Kendrick was likely dead. Solomon had been on a ship called the Resolution. This ship had disappeared. It was thought to be lost at sea.

Later, Juan Kendrick found out what happened. The Resolution was attacked by Haida warriors. These warriors were led by Chief Cumshewa and Koyah. The ship's crew was killed. This included Solomon Kendrick. In 1799, John Kendrick Jr. was no longer with the Spanish Navy. He was a crew member on the ship Eliza. Its captain was James Rowan. John Kendrick Jr. and others got revenge on the Haida.

Later Voyages

After the Eliza returned to New England, John Kendrick Jr. kept sailing. He joined the crew of a fur trading ship. It was called the Juno. The Juno sailed from Bristol, Rhode Island in 1801. It reached the Pacific Northwest in 1802. In early 1803, the Juno tried to rescue two survivors. They were from another ship called the Boston. These survivors had been enslaved by Chief Maquinna. He was a leader in Nootka Sound. The rescue attempt was not successful.

One of the survivors was John R. Jewitt. He became famous for writing about his time as a slave. He and the other survivor, John Thompson, were rescued later. This happened in 1805. They were saved by Samuel Hill. He was the captain of the ship Lydia.

After gathering many furs, the Juno sailed to Canton, China. Then it sailed back to New England. It arrived in May 1804. We don't know all the details of this trip. John Kendrick Jr. might have been the captain on the way back.