Nootka Convention facts for kids

The Nootka Sound Conventions were a set of three important agreements. They were signed in the 1790s between Spain and Great Britain. These agreements helped stop a war between the two countries. The conflict was about who owned parts of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.

Why did Spain and Britain argue?

Spain's claims to the land went back almost 300 years. They were based on a special order from the Pope in 1493. This order, and a treaty called the Treaty of Tordesillas, said Spain had rights to certain areas. Spain believed this gave them full control.

Other European countries did not agree with this. Even Spain and Portugal only followed it when it was helpful for them.

Britain also had claims to the region. These claims came from the journey of Sir Francis Drake in 1579. They also came from Captain James Cook exploring the area in 1778. However, Spanish explorers like Juan Pérez (1774) and Bruno de Heceta and Bodega y Quadra (1775) had explored and claimed the region earlier.

What caused the Nootka Sound dispute?

The problem at Nootka Sound started in 1789. Spain sent José Martínez to take control of Nootka Sound. He was meant to make sure Spain had full ownership there.

In the summer of 1789, many fur trading ships arrived at Nootka. Some were British, and some were American. A disagreement about who owned the land happened between Captain James Colnett of the British ship Argonaut and Martínez.

By the end of that summer, Martínez had arrested Colnett. He also seized several British ships and arrested their crews. Colnett had planned to build a permanent trading post at Nootka Sound. This was on land his business partner, John Meares, had supposedly bought.

After these events, Martínez left Nootka. He took the captured ships and prisoners to San Blas in New Spain. News of this caused a big argument between Spain and Britain. This argument was called the Nootka Crisis. It almost led to a war.

How did the Nootka Conventions help?

The Nootka Conventions were a series of agreements signed in the 1790s. They helped stop the dispute from turning into a war. George Vancouver and his Spanish partner Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra helped carry out parts of these agreements.

The first agreement was signed on October 28, 1790. It was written in a way that was not very clear. It said that all "buildings and tracts of land" at Nootka Sound taken by Martínez would be given back to Britain.

Vancouver and Bodega y Quadra went to Nootka Sound in 1792 to do this. But there were no buildings that had been seized. Bodega said Britain had not bought any land there. The local chief, Maquinna, and American traders Robert Gray and Joseph Ingraham also said this. Vancouver did not accept Bodega's ideas. So, the whole issue was sent back to the British and Spanish governments.

First Nootka Convention details

The first Nootka Convention also played a role in the dispute over the Falkland Islands. Article VI of the convention said that neither Britain nor Spain would build new settlements on islands near the east and west coasts of South America that Spain already controlled.

Both countries could still land and build temporary structures on the coasts and islands for fishing. There was also a secret part of the agreement. It said that Article VI would only last as long as no other country built settlements on those coasts. This meant if another country did, Britain could claim its earlier rights and build new settlements.

Second Nootka Convention details

The second Nootka Convention was signed in February 1793. It was also known as the Nootka Claims Convention. This agreement gave money to John Meares. It was to pay him back for his ships that Spain had seized at Nootka in 1789.

Third Nootka Convention details

The third Nootka Convention was signed on January 11, 1794. It was called the Convention for the Mutual Abandonment of Nootka. This agreement said that both countries would leave Nootka Sound.

Britain and Spain could both use Nootka Sound as a port. They could also build temporary structures there. But neither country could build anything permanent or claim full ownership of the port. They also agreed to help each other keep other countries from trying to take control of Nootka.

What about the borders?

The Nootka Crisis was originally about who owned the land and where the northern border of New Spain was. But these main questions were not fully answered.

Both sides had ideas for the border. Britain wanted it just north of San Francisco. Spain wanted it at the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After Vancouver said no to Bodega's idea, the border question was not discussed again. It was left undecided. The third convention only talked about who owned the port of Nootka Sound itself.

How did the U.S. get involved?

The new country of the United States did not have any claims in this area when the first Nootka Convention was signed. U.S. claims started with Robert Gray's trip up the Columbia River.

These claims grew stronger with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They also grew when Fort Astoria was built by the Pacific Fur Company. Spain's claims to the Pacific Northwest were later given to the United States. This happened with the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1819.

The U.S. government said it had gained the right to full ownership from Spain. This led to a disagreement with Britain called the Oregon boundary dispute. This dispute was finally settled in 1846 with the Oregon Treaty. This treaty divided the land and created the border between Canada and the United States that we know today.

The Nootka Conventions meant that Britain could settle the Pacific Northwest coast. This area stretched from northern California to Alaska. However, the start of the Napoleonic Wars stopped Britain from focusing on this. The idea of a colony in the region was dropped.

The Hudson's Bay Company was the main British group in the area. They did not want people to settle there. They also did not want any economic activity other than their own fur trade. So, not much settlement or resource development happened until the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858. This event helped Britain officially claim the mainland. These claims came from the Nootka Conventions. This led to the creation of the Colony of British Columbia.

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