James Douglas (governor) - The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush

The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush

In 1856 gold was discovered in the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River, and a year later in the Fraser River itself. This sparked an influx of miners and others, as word of the discoveries spread south to the United States. Thousands of Americans flooded into British Columbia, beginning the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. Douglas, although he had no political authority on the mainland, felt compelled to exert British jurisdiction over the territory, and stationed a warship at the mouth of the Fraser in order to issue licences to prospectors and merchants. A major task during the huge inflow of settlers was to prevent violence between the recent arrivals and the local natives. Due to the Indian Wars, American animosity against natives was often high. In the fall of 1858, escalating tensions between the miners and the Nlaka'pamux people of the central area of the canyon broke into the Fraser Canyon War.

Douglas' actions in asserting British sovereignty over the mainland is generally conceded today to have helped exert control over American miners, and undermine American territorial ambitions toward this part of British North America. Shortly thereafter, the Colonial Office formally ratified Douglas' proclamation of sovereignty and established a new colony encompassing the mainland.