{"product_id":"the-curious-passage-of-richard-blanshard-first-governor-of-vancouver-island-hardcover","title":"The Curious Passage of Richard Blanshard: First Governor of Vancouver Island - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBarry Gough\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCelebrated historian Barry Gough brings a defining era of Pacific Northwest history into focus in this biography of Richard Blanshard, the first governor of Vancouver Island--illuminating with intriguing detail the genesis and early days of Canada's westernmost province.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly one wintry day in March 1850, after seven weary weeks out of sight of land, a well-dressed Londoner, a bachelor aged thirty-two, stood at the ship's rail taking in the immensity of the unfolding scene. From Her Britannic Majesty's paddlewheel sloop-of-war \u003cem\u003eDriver\u003c\/em\u003e, steadily thumping forth on Imperial purpose, all that Richard Blanshard could make out to port, in reflected purple light upon the northern side, was a forested, rock-clad island rising to considerable height. Vancouver's Island they called it in those far-off days. This was his destination.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRichard Blanshard was governor of the young colony for three short, unhappy years--only one and a half of which were spent in the colony itself. From the very beginning he was at odds with the vastly influential Hudson's Bay Company, run by its Chief Factor James Douglas, who succeeded Blanshard as governor of the colony of Vancouver Island and later became the first governor of the colony of British Columbia. While James Douglas is remembered, for better or worse, as a founding father of British Columbia, Richard Blanshard's name is now largely forgotten, despite his vitally important role in warning London of American cross-border aggressions, including a planned takeover of Haida Gwaii. However, his failures highlight the fascinating struggles of the time--the supreme influence of commerce, the disparity between expectations and reality, and the bewildering collision of European and Pacific Northwest culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 368\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.1 x 9.3 x 6.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 16, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51764178288928,"sku":"9781990776380","price":38.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/d32b996209c3bf77aa89919af62e9259.webp?v=1780244912","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-curious-passage-of-richard-blanshard-first-governor-of-vancouver-island-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}