Archives West Finding Aid

Spanish interest in the Pacific Northwest began in 1774 with the voyage of Juan José Pérez Hernández on the frigate Santiago. Pérez and his crew of 86 were the first Europeans to visit the Pacific Northwest. In 1775 a second voyage of 90 men led by Lieutenant Bruno de Heceta aboard the Santiago, set sail from the Port of San Blas with orders to make clear Spanish claims on the entire Pacific Northwest Coast. Additional voyages took place over the next eight years, including the 1783 voyage of the Princesa under Juan Francisco de la Bodega. The Revolutionary War in America followed by the Anglo-Spanish War effectively halted Spanish exploration in the Pacific Northwest until 1788.

In March of 1788, Esteban José Martínez commanding the Princesa and Gonzalo López de Haro aboard the San Carlos assisted by José María Narváez, set out to investigate rumors of Russian activity in Alaska and present day British Columbia. After numerous failed attempts to locate the Russians, Martínez and Haro eventually met with Potap Kuzmich Zaikov, a Russian navigator stationed in Unalaska. Unaware of Spanish intentions to occupy the area, Kuzmich revealed that the Russian’s had plans to settle a number of islands and ports, including Nootka Sound. The Spanish explorers quickly made plans to return to the Port of San Blas with the new information they had gathered. Due to increasing conflict between Martínez and Haro, the ships broke off contact within three days sailed south separately. During the voyage south, Haro declared his ship no longer under Martínez's command. They sailed back to San Blas on their own, arriving on October 22, 1788. Martínez spent a month in Monterey waiting for Haro. When he arrived at San Blas in December, he found himself faced with charges of irresponsible leadership. He soon regained favor and was placed in charge of a new expedition to occupy Nootka Sound.

After learning of Russian plans to settle Alaska, the Viceroy of New Spain determined to preemptively take possession of Nootka Sound ahead of the Russians. In 1789, Martínez and Haro were order to return to Nootka. During the occupation of Nootka, Martínez instructed his pilot José María Narváez to explore the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Narváez found the Strait of Juan de Fuca to be a large inlet with much promise for further exploration. By the end of 1789, the Spanish had abandoned Nootka. On the return journey to San Blas, Martínez oversaw the capture of British ships. The capture, believed to be a violation of international law, eventually led to the Nootka Crisis followed by the first Nootka Convention (1790), which gave both Britain and Spain the right to settle along the Pacific coasts.

Once tensions had been eased following the Nootka crisis, Spain made plans to further explore the Straight of Fuca and the coast located between San Francisco and the Columbia River. In 1793, Francisco de Eliza and Juan Martínez de Zayas were commissioned to explore the area. Eliza, believing Martínez de Zayas to be advancing too slowly, left his fellow sailor behind. Eliza soon returned to California while Martínez de Zayas continued his journey north, mapping and surveying much of the land along the Pacific Northwest coast.

This contemporary collection of nine documents was produced by officials from the Viceroyalty of New Spain recording the events of Spanish exploration undertaken by Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro in 1788 as well as Don Juan Bautista, Francisco de Eliza, and Juan Martínez de Zayas in 1793.

The following individuals, locations, and entities are mentioned throughout the collection:

Manuel Antonio Flórez was a general in the Spanish Navy and served as Viceroy of New Spain in from 1787 – 1789, stationed in the Port of San Blas. Flórez commissioned Esteban José Martínez and fellow Spaniard, Gonzalo López de Haro, to explore the Alaskan coast in 1787 and occupy the Port of Nootka in 1789.

Esteban José Martínez (1742–1798) was a Spanish navigator and explorer. He was a key figure in the Spanish exploration of the Pacific Northwest. In 1787 – 1788, he and fellow explorer, Gonzalo López de Haro, were commissioned by the Viceroy of New Spain, Manuel Antonio Flórez, to investigate Russian presence in Alaska. In 1789, he was instructed to occupy Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island, as show of force to Russian troops stationed in British Columbia and Alaska.

Gonzalo López de Haro was a Spanish explorer. He was commissioned, along with Esteban José Martínez, to investigate Russian activity in Alaska. After arriving in Prince William Sound, Haro sailed the San Carlos west to Kodiak Island where he found the Russian post at Three Saints Bay. Haro returned east, rejoining Martínez at Sitkinak Island. Haro and Martínez then sailed southwest to investigate Unalaska Island, where there was a large Russian post under the command of Potap Kuzmich Zaikov. In 1790 and 1791 he was a primer piloto (first pilot) in the expedition commanded by Francisco de Eliza.

José María Narváez was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator. He was assigned to the San Carlos along with Gonzalo López de Haro during Esteban José Martínez’s exploration and subsequent occupation of Nootka Sound. Narváez was also tasked with exploring the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Potap Kuzmich Zaikov was a Russian navigator that operated across the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska during the development of the Russian Maritime Fur Trade from the 1770s to 1791. In 1788, Kuzmich encountered Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro , sent to investigate Russian intentions in Alaska. Kuzmich told the Spaniards about Russian plans for occupying various islands and ports throughout the area, which eventually led the Spanish to arrange an additional voyage with the purpose of settling Nootka island before the Russians.

Juan Francisco de la Bodega was a Spanish naval officer assigned to the Pacific coast Spanish Naval Department based as the Port of San Blas in Mexico. He was tasked with implementing the demarcation line between Spanish and British territory in the early 1790s. During a 1779 voyage past San Francisco, Bodega discovered that British troops had landed about 60 miles north of Bodega Harbor. After writing to the Spanish government, the Sutil commanded by Don Juan Bautista Matute is commissioned to investigate.

Don Juan Bautista Matute was a Lieutenant in the Spanish Navy. In 1793, he was tasked with investigating British presence in Bodega harbor (off the coast of San Francisco) and, if necessary, forcefully occupying the area. Matute discovered no sign of the British at Bodega Harbor.

Francisco de Eliza as a Spanish naval officer and navigator. Eliza was in charge of a 1790 expedition to Nootka and a 1791 expedition to the Fuca Straight. In 1793, Eliza was tasked with exploring the Pacific Northwest coast from San Francisco to the Columbia River and the Straight of Fuca along with pilot, Juan Martínez de Zayas. Eliza left behind his pilot and supply ship soon after leaving for the voyage.

Juan Martínez de Zayas piloted the supply ship assigned to explore the Pacific Northwest coast from San Francisco to the Columbia River and the Straight of Fuca along with Francisco de Eliza. Martínez de Zayas continued his journey even after being left behind by Eliza.

Antonio Valdés was appointed Inspector General of the Spanish Navy in 1781 and Minister of the Navy in 1783.

The Viceroyality of New Spain was a territorial entity established by the Spanish government following their colonization of the Americas. It covered an area that included territories in North America, Central America, Asia and Oceania.

The Port of San Blas served as a naval base for the Spanish in the Viceroyality of New Spain. Most Spanish naval missions exploring the West coast of the United States and Canada originated from this port.

Nootka Sound is located of the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Spanish explorers became aware of the sound and Nootka Island in 1774 with the expedition of Juan José Pérez Hernández. In 1787, following rumors of Russian settlement in the area, Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro were dispatched to investigate the Russian presence. An additional mission was commissioned in 1789 with the goal of officially settling Nootka Island for Spain. The capture of British ships during this second voyage eventually led to the Nootka Crisis followed by the first Nootka Convention (1790), which gave both Britain and Spain the right to settle along the Pacific coasts.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water located in the Salish Sea, providing an outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the center of the Strait. The Straight was explored by José María Narváez during Esteban José Martínez 1789 occupation of Nootka Sound and in 1793, Francisco de Eliza and Juan Martínez de Zayas were ordered to further explore the Straight of Fuca along with the coast between San Francisco and the Columbia River.