In 1803 in what was then British Guyana, James Douglas was born. His father was a Scottish merchant and his mother was what they called 鈥渇ree coloured鈥� 鈥� a Creole woman of mixed African and European heritage.
Unlike his younger sister, who was as dark skinned as their mother, Douglas appeared to be Caucasian. But his later actions, including marrying a woman of Cree ancestry, have led amateur historian (and former 麻豆传媒映画mayor) Sam Sullivan to believe that when Douglas built Fort Victoria, his aim was to create an inclusive society where everyone had an opportunity to thrive.
鈥淗e had a great sensitivity for black people,鈥� says Sullivan, who has researched Douglas as part of a video series that explores the uncovered facets of British Columbian history. 鈥淚t seems like he envisioned British Columbia as a place of tolerance for black and First Nations people but then the settlers came in and they had totally different ideas.鈥�
Douglas was the chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company鈥檚 territory which in today鈥檚 terms includes British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. The territory was called Columbia and the British government had given responsibility for governing the area to the HBC.
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鈥淚 call it Proto British Columbia,鈥� Sullivan says. Its capital was 麻豆传媒映画鈥� the 麻豆传媒映画in present-day Washington, that is. Our city of 麻豆传媒映画is in the territory known as New Caledonia.
The Hudson Bay Company deliberately encouraged its traders and leaders to form relationships with First Nations people, Sullivan adds. 鈥淭he company was in a very precarious position because it had isolated outposts all over Canada surrounded by well-armed aboriginal people who had distinctive cultures.
鈥淭he company could build a fort but it was pretty much useless if someone wanted to attack them. All they had to do was set fire to the fort. It was therefore a company strategy to inter-marry, especially with high-status native women.鈥�
It was also good business practice. Part of the reason is that by encouraging its traders to immerse themselves in the local community, and have children, the HBC also could more easily recruit manpower for its trading routes. 鈥淲ithin the context of the times, the company was remarkably multi-cultural,鈥� Sullivan says. At first the company even prohibited missionaries or European settlers 鈥渂ecause the company thought they would be disruptive.鈥�
Douglas was tasked with building a company outpost on the southern tip of 麻豆传媒映画Island in 1841. The fort was the first building in the area, which had no white settlers yet. The fort became his home base in the spring of 1849, three yeas after the Oregon Treaty was signed.
The Oregon Treaty created the border between British North America and the United States along the 49th parallel. For the first three years, the American government didn鈥檛 have the wherewithal to send anyone to govern the area, so Douglas had retained control. But when U.S. officials arrived, the situation became untenable.
The Oregon Territory quickly posed exclusion laws that were anathema to Douglas. Neither blacks nor Hawaiians, who comprised 30 per cent of Vancouver鈥檚 population, were allowed to live there. There was even a short-lived law that said any black person who came into the territory would be lashed.
In March, 1849, Douglas packed up five wagons and headed north to Olympia, where he boarded a boat for Fort Victoria. He invited who had experienced discrimination in San Francisco to join him in Victoria. Their descendents spread out through the Lower Mainland.
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His arrival coincided with the British government鈥檚 decision to lease all of 麻豆传媒映画Island to the Hudson Bay Company with the provision that it create a colony. The role of governor did not immediately fall to Douglas but he soon pushed his predecessor out, becoming governor of the colony of 麻豆传媒映画Island in 1851.
History has mixed opinions on Douglas鈥� legacy but Sullivan believes it鈥檚 unfortunate that few people know that a man of mixed race had such an impact on the province鈥檚 history.
鈥淪ome people don鈥檛 believe that the Hudson Bay Company was a government,鈥� says Sullivan, who now spends part of his year in Douglas鈥檚 Victoria as Liberal MLA for Vancouver-False Creek. 鈥淚 think I make the case that it was. It鈥檚 a perception that needs to be corrected. I am putting this out there and waiting for a historian to correct me.鈥�
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To watch Sam Sullivan鈥檚 videos of British Columbia history go to .
