User:Lonewolf BC/Robert Gray (sea-captain)

{{otherpeople|Robert Gray}} [[Image:Robert_Gray.jpg|thumb|right|Captain Robert Gray (His one missing eye not shown.)]] '''Robert Gray''' ([[May 10]], [[1755]] – ''c.'' July, [[1806]]) was an [[United States|American]] merchant sea-captain and explorer who is known for having completed the first [[circumnavigation]] of the world by an American ship, in [[1790]], and perhaps best known for entering and naming the [[Columbia River]], in [[1792]]. He achieved both in connection with trading voyages to the north [[Pacific]] coast of [[North America]], which pioneered the American sea-borne fur trade there. == Earlier life == Gray was born in [[Tiverton, Rhode Island]]. Little is known of his early life. He is said to have served in the [[Continental Navy]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]], but this is not documented. He is known, however, to have served in the [[Triangular trade]] of [[South Carolina]], aboard the ''Pacific''. == Trading Voyages of 1787–1793 == === First Voyage to Pacific Northwest Coast 1787-1790 === In [[1787]], Robert Gray and [[Captain John Kendrick]] left [[Boston]] in two ships, to trade along the north Pacific coast. They were sent by Boston merchants including [[Charles Bulfinch]].<ref name=Kushner>Kushner</ref> Bulfinch and the other financial backers came up with the idea of trading pelts from the northwest coast of North America and taking them directly to [[China]] after Bulfinch had read about Captain [[James Cook|Cook’s]] success doing the same.<ref name=Kushner/> Bulfinch had read Cook’s ''Journals'' that were published in [[1784]] that in part discussed his success selling sea otter pelts in Canton, and thus the American merchants thought they could replicate that success.<ref name=Kushner/> Prior to this, other America traders such as [[Robert Morris (merchant)|Robert Morris]] had sent ships to trade with China, notably the ''Empress of China'' in 1784, but had problems with finding specie acceptable to the Chinese.<ref name=Kushner/> Cook’s trading and Bulfinch’s learning of this solved the problem of specie so that profitable triangular trading could occur between the [[New England]] sea merchants and the China market.<ref name=Kushner/> During their trading up and down the coastlines of what is now [[British Columbia]], [[Washington]], [[Oregon]], and [[California]] the two explored many bays and inland waters, including an inland sea north of Nootka Sound.<!-- What the heck? There is none! This must mean the Gulf of Georgia, which is on the opposite (east) side of Vancouver Island from Nootka Sound, which latter is on the outer coast. But Gray told Vancouver he never even entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, if rightly recall. --><ref name=Lockley>Lockley</ref> Gray then encountered Captain [[John Meares]] of England and relayed this information to him, which led to the British sending out additional ships to explore the coast under the command of Captain [[George Vancouver]].{{fact}}<!-- It seems highly doubtful, on many grounds, that this was the sole, or even a main reason for Vancouver's expedition, as seems to be the implication here. Indeed, it seems doubtful that it could have been ANY reason at all, or even took place. --> And in [[1788]] Gray had attempted to enter a large river, but was unable to due to the tides, this river being the Columbia River.<ref name=Lockley/><!-- Other sources say that Gray noted the river-evidence but sailed right on by in '88 --> At the outset of the voyage, Gray captained the ''[[Lady Washington]]'' and Kendrick captained the ''[[Columbia Rediviva]]'', but the captains swapped vessels during the voyage, putting Gray in command of the ''Columbia''. After the switch Kendrick then stayed on the coast trading for pelts and furs, while Gray sailed their existing cargo of pelts to China, stopping off at the [[Hawaiian Islands|Sandwich Islands]] en route.<ref name=Lockley/> Gray arrived in Canton, China in early 1790.<ref name=Lockley/> In China he traded his cargo for large amounts of tea.<ref name=Lockley/> Gray then continued on west, sailing around the [[Cape of Good Hope]] and arriving back in Boston on [[August 10]], [[1790]].<ref name=Lockley/> As such, the ''Columbia'' became the first American vessel to circumnavigate the globe.<ref name=Lockley/> Also on this voyage Kendrick and Gray were instructed to purchase as much land as they could from native [[Amerindians|Indians]] in the region.<ref name=Lockley/><!-- They were? By whom? And why? This seems most unlikely! --> Kendrick did so on at least two occasions, including on [[August 5]], [[1791]] where he purchased 18 square miles near 49’ 50” from a native tribe.<ref name=Lockley/> This purchase occurring while Gray had completed his voyage and since returned. The success in profits realized by this voyage had two main effects, with the most immediate having Gray return to the Northwest only six weeks after returning.<ref name=Lockley/> The second effect was that it lead to other New England sea merchants sending out their own vessels to that part of the world to take part in this new trade opportunity.<ref name=Kushner/> This included Gray’s first mate Joseph Ingraham being sent out by other merchants on the ship ''Hope'' in September 1790.<ref name=Kushner/> Within a few years many Yankee merchants were involved in the continuous trade of [[fur trade|pelts]] to China and by [[1801]] sixteen American<!--(?)--> vessels were engaged in this triangular route.<ref name=Kushner/><!-- Not really "triangular". Does Kushner actually use that word for it? --> These activities encroached upon other nation’s territorial claims, notably those of [[Spain]] and [[Russia]] to the south and north of the disputed [[Oregon Country]].<ref name=Kushner/> However, these activities help to strengthen the [[United States]] claims in the coming years to much of the Oregon Country while restricting Spain’s claims to California and Russia’s claims to [[Alaska]].<ref name=Kushner/><!-- What about BRITAIN? Does Kushner REALLY say nothing about Britain and the HBC, which established the nearest thing to a governance of the region in this period? --> === Circumnavigation === Gray crossed the Pacific to China in 1790, and traded his furs for tea and other Chinese goods. He then carried on westerly, through the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and across the Atlantic, back to Boston. His return there, [[August 10]], [[1790]], completed the first circumnavigation of the world by an American vessel. === Second Voyage to Pacific Northwest Coast, 1790-1793 === On [[September 28]], [[1790]] Gray set sail again with the ''Columbia'' to the northwest coast, heading for Nootka Sound.<ref name=Lockley/> On this voyage Gray was sailing under papers of the United States signed by President [[George Washington]],<!-- What kind of papers, and what is Lockley's evidence that there were any such? --> though he was still a private merchant.<ref name=Lockley/> Gray and the ''Columbia'' arrived back on [[June 5]], [[1791]], sailing as far north as the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] during this voyage.<ref name=Lockley/> There the traders wintered at a stockade they built and named Fort Defiance.<ref name=Lockley/> During this winter the crew built a 30 ton sloop that Gray then named ''Adventurer'' that was launched that spring with Gray’s first mate Robert Haswell in charge.<ref name=Lockley/> Once April came Gray and the ''Columbia'' sailed south while the ''Adventurer'' sailed north. While traveling south<!-- Actually, Gray was travelling back NORTH, when they met near Cape Flattery, and afterward doubled back to seek entry to the river he suspected to exist --> the ''Columbia'' encountered Vancouver’s expedition and the two captains met and discussed the geography of the coastlines. Gray told Vancouver about the large river he had attempted to enter in 1788,<!-- Wrong. It was just earlier that same April --> but Vancouver doubted there was a large river at that latitude.<!-- No, Vancouver doubted that there was any NAVIGABLE WAY INTO whatever might be there, river or no river. --> So Gray continued south,<!-- No, he went BACK south. --> leaving the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] on [[April 30]], [[1792]] trading for more pelts as the ship sailed. On [[May 7]], he took the ''Columbia'' into the estuarine bay of [[Grays Harbor]], Washington. (Gray himself actually named this Bullfinch Harbor, but Vancouver's after-the-fact choice was the name that stuck.) Afterward, Gray carried on south to what was, he rightly suspected, the mouth a great river, and further sought a way into it. On [[May 11]] his men discovered that way, and took his ship through it into the river's estuary. He named it the [[Columbia River]], after his ship, and his discovery would eventually form part of the basis for U.S. territorial claims to Oregon Country.<ref name=Lockley/> Gray then finished filling his cargo hold with pelts and set sail for China.<ref name=Lockley/> Again in Canton, Gray traded his cargo for tea and returned to Boston.<ref name=Lockley/> == Later Life == On [[February 3]], [[1794]] Gray was married to Martha Gray in Boston, by the Reverend John Eliott.<ref name=Lockley/> Gray then died in 1806 while sailing near [[Charleston, South Carolina]].<ref name=Lockley/> He left behind Martha and four daughters, who later petitioned [[U.S. Congress|Congress]] for a government pension based on his voyages and a claim that he was a naval officer for the United States during the Revolutionary War.<ref name=Lockley/> == Legacy == After getting back to Boston in [[1793]], Gray returned to his former obscurity. He did not publish his geographic discoveries on the estuarine Columbia, nor those elsewhere along the Pacific coast (although Vancouver did so, in England), and at the time they neither gained him any renoun nor were considered greatly important. However, the trading opportunities that he had pioneered (so far as Americans go) were soon followed up by other New England merchants, with the result that the Indians of the northwest coast came to call Americans "Boston men". Moreover, Gray's priority in entering of the Columbia estuary was later used by the United States as a basis for its territorial claims to the [[Oregon Country]], at Americans called it. The rival British claimants of this area used "[[Columbia District]]" as their most nearly equivalent term, which was based upon the river-name chosen by Gray. This eventually leant itself to the name of the former British colony and current Canadian Province of [[British Columbia]]. == Namesakes == * [[Grays Harbor]] ([http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.95083&lon=-124.04972&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=1000 map]) and [[Grays Harbor County, Washington|Grays Harbor County]], in [[Washington]] State * [[Grays Bay (Washington)]], on the north shore of the Columbia River estuary ([http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.28472&lon=-123.71139&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=200 map]) * [[Grays Point (Washington)]], at the west of Grays Bay ([http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.27472&lon=-123.76972&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=200 map]) * [[Grays River (Washington)]], a tributary of the Columbia River, flowing into Grays Bay ([http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.30306&lon=-123.68694&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=500 map]) * [[Grays River, Washington]], a small, unincorporated rural village on the river of the same name ([http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=46.35639&lon=-123.60806&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50 map]) * Robert Gray Avenue in Tiverton, Rhode Island == Notes == <references/> == References == *Kushner, Howard I. (1975). ''Conflict on the Northwest Coast: American-Russian Rivalry in the Pacific Northwest, 1790-1867''. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-8371-7873-8. *Lockley, Fred (1929). ''Oregon Trail Blazers''. The Knickerbocker Press. == See also == [[Gray Sails the Columbia River]] [[Category:American explorers|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:Explorers of North America|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:Scottish-Americans|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:1755 births|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:1806 deaths|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:People from Rhode Island|Gray, Robert]] [[Category:History of Oregon|Gray, Robert]] [[de:Robert Gray]] [[fi:Robert Gray]]