HistoryTalks! The Evolution of the Northwest Passage as a Cartographic Image: 1753-1853

After centuries of failure in the attempt to discover the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic side of North America, in 1776 the British Admiralty commissioned Captain Cook’s third voyage to look for this fabled gateway from the “backside” of the continent, that is, via the Pacific Ocean. Cook “failed” to find an Arctic passage, but the concept had such a grip on the popular imagination that a series of maritime and terrestrial explorers (including George Vancouver and Lewis & Clark) tried their hands at several successor versions, which also came to naught. When nature refused to provide the long-sought-for-passage, the following generation built the equivalent, in the form of the Northern Pacific and Canadian Pacific railroads. Join historian and author Dave Nicandri as he explores the evolution of the Northwest Passage as a cartographic image.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.