Spanish Exploration on the West Coast

Today we discussed some of the history of BC. Who came first to the coast? What country appeared here first? Did you know that Vancouver Island used to be called La Isla de Quadra y Vancouver? And that Quadra was the Spanish explorer who did a lot of the charting of the region before George Vancouver did? Why are there so many islands and places on the west coast that have Spanish names? This has been a hot topic of debate for a long time, although we often don’t hear about it. The history of the region has changed over time as more artifacts are discovered that prove who came first to BC. Here are a few articles to explore about this controversial bit of history!

Globe and Mail Unearthing B.C.’s mysterious Spanish roots

National Post  How the discovery of a 460-year-old English shilling in B.C. could help rewrite the early history of Canada

A student’s prezi about the history of early explorers in BC Spanish Explorers in BC

(heavier reading) British Columbia Open Textbook British Columbia in a Global Context

Canadian Geographic Spanish Explorers in BC Map

You Tube Spanish Explorers in BC