Tents and Treason: The Nootka Sound Crisis

In the summer of 1789, the global balance of power was almost entirely destroyed over a few rudimentary tents on the rainy coast of Vancouver Island. The remote inlet of Nootka Sound was a lucrative hub for the sea otter pelt trade, drawing opportunistic merchants from across the globe. When a Spanish naval commander arrived to claim the territory for the Crown, he impounded several British trad...