The History of British Columbia | Sam Sullivan | TEDxVancouver

[@Pasqualelovesrio]

Saw Mr. Sullivan today at the Sun Run today, cheering on participants on the Cambie St. Bridge. Thank you for posting these videos about our history!

[@sergegirard864]

I never knew that we lost part of BC to the Americans. So much history we don't know in Eastern Canada. Thanks for educating me.

[@P7777-u7r]

Well in a way you didnt because we werent part of Canada

[@angelaj7229]

You didn't know it because it isn't true. This video is misleading.

[@michellebrown4]

From my understanding, alot of this early history he is talking about is definitly before canada was a thing. I think you can hardly call the area "british columbia" either because around that time it was all just settlements and exploration.

[@nunyabisness7055]

@@angelaj7229 Actually, it's a well known fact that Washington was once British. They still celebrate Victoria Day.

[@jprt1990]

​@@michellebrown4 Yeah, the vast majority of the population was native then. Before the 1850's there were some Europeans, Asians, etc., but they were few in number and mostly to be found in the forts, garrisons, and fur trading outposts in the territory. British Columbia only started to become "British" in the 1850's when settlement from Britain and Anglo-America began to pick up speed as a result of the gold rush. It "joined Canada"/Confederation soon after that (but Canada was part of the British Empire, legally and culturally, so the province kept the name "British Columbia").

[@BossDawg69]

This is amazing. So proud to be a British Columbian

[@KikoBarahona]

Sam forgot to mention the fact that the earliest explorations and settlements were done by Spain, as reflected in the extensive spanish toponomy and street names all over Vancouver and BC.

[@DmitryVarennikov]

Care to give a few examples?

[@tylerhicks8104]

Quadra, Galiano, Cortes, Juan De Fuca, Tofino, Esperanza, Gabriola, Ballenas, Spanish Banks.

[@KikoBarahona]

Gracias :)

[@derek4384]

Wow that's for real Tyler, a large part of bc history

[@waynemasters8673]

1715, Spain's Philip needed gold for a dowery. It sunk. Fort Chihuahua aka Chase involved. Slaves with chains around necks in cave drawing. Rumours of slaughter of the Spanish, a hidden gold treasure. Sabres in museums. But but but but No replica of the Resolution by 2028? BC citizens, you can't afford 2 million for a replica???????? Captain Cooke, they only live for their flatscreens now. Wayne on the Tranquille River tomorrow searching for evidence.

[@cfcreative1]

I came to Vancouver in fall 1998. I remember watching Vancouver City Council broadcast on local tv.

[@ON-YT]

I wish we had the Whidbey Island border that would give Vancouver a full Valley down to Bellingham.

[@ragellejean]

It would also make most of my “trips to the states”, to “trips to the south.”

[@P7777-u7r]

It is our destiny to retake our lost terrirories

[@jeffs4483]

Don't worry. BC will get absorbed by the USA at some point.

[@juliaburns5686]

Thanks Sam Sullivan for your insight and research into our history. Done with easy to understand graphics. Gives me a platform to base our history and future on. :)

[@Flourineuraniumcarbon]

This is SPECTACULAR!

[@dennisg8164]

Hey Sam, Glad to see you are doing well. Great video. We were at SFU together. I had the clothing project if you recall.

[@blazerunner2051]

I am currently in a vacation in british columbia even with the excessive smoke. I really want to know whats it like in west canada and its history as an eastern canadian.

[@painterstars]

I'm a homeschooling mom and your video was very helpful in conjunction with my daughter's social studies for this year, thank you

[@ArchYeomans]

Excellent. However, he did miss an important piece of history here. That expeditions from Monterey, CA actually are the first to encounter the indigenous people of British Columbia the Haida in what is called Langara Island. Langara is named after a Spaniard.

[@ArchYeomans]

Very interesting. I had no idea that Vancouver, WA was the original capital of a region called Columbia. However, why did he not cover the Spanish claim to the region as Nueva Galicia and of Juan Hernandez Perez who is the first Indo-European to meet the Haida on what is today called Langara island (named after a Spanish naval commander)? Queen Charlotte Island was originally named by Indo-Europeans as Santa Margarita Island. In fact, his mission to Nueva Galicia was an extension of Portola's expedition to Monterey, CA taking Father Crespi (a fellow Mallorcan) with him. There were also Spanish forts on Vancouver Island. No mention of that either. Why?

[@smallstudiodesign]

Time limit. Also his history narrative begins at the point beyond this what you mention ... it starts with Columbia and British Columbia ... think it’s pretty clear.

[@OnwardsUpwards]

Because the Spanish and Russian fur trades in the area failed. Read the book "Trading Beyond the Mountains".

[@cyph3r.427]

So awesome! I also never knew a lot of this history!

[@leongponce]

That was quite educational, thanks.

[@adambensalah1225]

Thank you Sam

[@smithmcsmith9218]

I'm glad they acknowledged the First Nations' past. Great video, thank you!

[@ArchYeomans]

Agreed. However, he totally ignored the Spanish expeditions from Monterey, CA and that Juan Hernandez Perez was the first white man to meet native people (Haida) in British Columbia originally called Nueva Galicia and Queen Charlotte Island was originally called Santa Margarita Island by the white man. We're missing some history here.

[@smithmcsmith9218]

Croatian Warmaster stolen land

[@JacobFirlotte]

we're still here

[@smithmcsmith9218]

@@JacobFirlotte I know. I didn't say otherwise.

[@JacobFirlotte]

@@smithmcsmith9218 cool, have a good day

[@lmfao8314]

Britain. small yet so powerful.

[@AnaPerez-bz4cj]

Thank you.

[@vicariouswitness]

Mind Blown

[@shizlittlebam]

Fascinating

[@ChrisPollitt]

Very interesting

[@bolivianprince7326]

Im planning to go to vancouver by december for vacation and possible medical treatment for 3 months. Is there any cheap hostels or you think airbnb is a better option?

[@bolivianprince7326]

@@oliverosak yes why?

[@leahjudd2460]

Thanks - I thought this video was well done! Interesting information about the measurements used in laying out cities and blocks.

[@reddolphin7577]

.. Victoria was not the first capital of BC.. New Westminster was.. New Westminster was selected the first capital of British Columbia in 1859. In 1866 the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island united as “British Columbia” and the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island, Victoria, was made the capital of the newly amalgamated colony.

[@classicrockcafe]

And John Deighton, (Gassy Jack) lived in New Westminster before he moved to the Burrard Inlet. Do you happen to know the location of his first Globe Saloon in New Westminster?

[@plusfour1]

Ya, and moving the capital to Victoria was a concession to have Vancouver Island join BC

[@Fabsurf101]

SAM SULLIVAN has provided this excellent historical perspective and he should have stayed in civic politics

[@elizabethfarrell9650]

Really liked it. :)

[@clintgolub1751]

Great editing!

[@zeusvalentine3638]

And yet many residents can no longer afford to live there.

[@euminkong]

There's always East Hastings 🙄

[@neuralismgamingtv4511]

Just burn it all down every single last structure gone.

[@ant-1382]

most interesting.

[@helloferozkhan]

good video

[@sunnyliu1038]

I m interested because I want to move there.

[@tamanassman]

you're completely over-reaching with your theory about how Vancouver got its name. The Terms of Union had said a railway would be built to Vancouver.... which in 1871 and until the renaming of Granville had meant Vancouver Island - as a check of riding-names of the House of Commons in those days will show. Because they didn't wind up building the line to "Vancouver" per what that meant in 1871, i.e. to Victoria which had been promised trains daily, naming the new city "Vancouver" was a way of satisfying the wording of the Terms of Union. I think it was in Alan Morley's "Vancouver: From Milltown to Metropolis" I read that, or else in Maj. Matthews' "Early Vancouver" somewhere.

[@trishaturner8407]

William Douglas was in my family tree

[@bumsbjwjesbiadhdbwnkeh5851]

Cool

[@hardy3407]

God save King George III

[@ritaraissi3539]

I know

[@carsonrobinson9569]

Boy did John McLoughlin get dealt a bad hand eh 4:50

[@SpencerLowe-kg4rg]

How was French the common working language. There is no French Remnants. Infact there is lots of Spanish Remnants.

[@mikenelson1614]

Actually there is quite a few French remnants, Maillardville in Coquitlam was a french speaking settlement and was the largest french speaking community west of Manitoba, there are several lakes in BC that have french names like Lac la Hache and Lac le Jeune just to name a few. If you look you'll see there is quite a bit.

[@malcolmwatt4866]

The men or the paddlers, voyageurs were all French Canadians. The only means of transport was by trade canoe. Only the Factors were British, mostly of Scots origin. This is true of both NWC and later HBC. Coastal names tend to have Spanish or British origins, interior names either British or French because of the trade with the east. The idea that our sensibility of ideas today was reflected in the old 'Columbia' district strikes me as an assumption of confirmation of today's controversies rather than the practical business of an isolated world that did not need to conform to the politics of their day.

[@rickfeng4466]

Yellowhead route now the Yellowhead highway is named after tête jeune cache

[@camljokee]

So that was a nice history lesson on Vancouver ... I was hoping for the history of B.C., like the title says.

[@adaptercrash]

I dunno play hockey while rest of country goes to war there's something wrong with it they never helped and they say its the best

[@neuralismgamingtv4511]

My entire life I had been seeing if Canada is so great why is my family getting so badly betrayed and why is it only getting worse over time and yet my mother would be ever more determined to convince me the exact opposite of everything that I was seeing and that the few fleeting moments of petty Good Samaritan kindness should fill my heart with enough warmth and goodwill to carry through that monster ripping my soul load of me while she flushed both of our lives down the toilet slowly. I almost consider myself at war with the Canadian government, I could make a billion dollars tomorrow and it wouldn't come close to the back pay that I am owed by the so-called institutions that millions of Canadians pretend to trust. There is no price for lost life, it's an eye for an eye, and the only thing I care about anymore is poking out the governments eyes before it makes all of Canada blind. People think the great resignation is a big deal they have absolutely no idea what's coming next based on the petty reasoning they came up with in the first place. This anger I feel is beyond me and soon enough by the millions the rest of the Canadian citizens who sacrificed and were betrayed will discover that anger as well, and it will carry them 100 times farther than any of them ever thought possible.

[@phillipkirkby269]

I want my country back

[@bullfighter42]

Who are you?

[@Wizardley]

Hi Sam

[@classicrockcafe]

What if Robert Burnaby got his wish? He wanted to name much of Vancouver, as Burnaby.

[@JoeT001]

it was called Indian Territory,.. over all,.. the bases of it's foundation, continued to be expressed as it's right, as Traditional territory! with Various tribal lands,.. look at the first Arrowsmith maps which was contracted for the use and planning of the Colonial Provincial British Columbia, which most First People continue to invite the non First Nations, like every non First People, Sam Sullivan also belittles the true invitation,.. which was written through to Wilfrid Laurier back in 1910, the Chinook Wawa you mention,.. is truly known as the International Language,... be every first Nation from California to Alaska,..the influence and use of the Chinook was a trading language acceptable between the tribes and French speaking, not because the leader of British Columbia spoke french,.. the hint of the first governor John McLaughlin use french, doesn't mean the British Columbian government accepted the First and lead use of Chinook Wawa,..it was developed in Kamloops, there is a book i a bible written in Chinook Wawa,... the reasoning for the leadership in marrying aboriginal women, was because to keep the warring nations from uprising,.. they married chiefs daughters,.. that was a standard kept as practice in all of the Forts of Trade,.. when they retired, the women were send back to their tribe, if not back to the tribe they were left to fend for themselves,....there was no banned on Missionaries, they were contracted to,... run the missions in Kamloops Cranbrook and Williams Lake,.. and others,..

[@euminkong]

Cascadia is Columbia

[@crasyparty]

he looks like jimmy carter

[@anthonyhurtado9523]

Says british columbia

[@alanbrooke144]

So Brit MPs screwed BC over twice in favour of the Yanks.

[@P7777-u7r]

BC seems to have a history of being screwed over by the higher far away power. London screwed over BC but Ottawa has screwed over BC many times too and i think i hope one day BC wont have any far away city it has to answer to

[@khunopie9159]

I thought that was Stephen Hawking at first!

[@jjpki3223]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jjpki3223]

I’d really like to verify these claims before I can tell whether or not I believe them.

[@OnwardsUpwards]

Read a book called "Trading Beyond the Mountains".

[@smokenbudesq]

SURVIVED NUKES WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

[@Ramesses-rl2yz]

Japan. His point was that street patterns can survive a nuclear war. The way it came out made me do a double-take, too, though.

[@rorymcmanama1042]

In this video Sam Sullivan kept referring to the indigenous peoples of WA, OR, ID, and MT as "First Nation" even when speaking of events after that area was ceded to the United States. He is using the term "First Nation" incorrectly. The term "First Nations" does not describe the indigenous peoples of the United States. Rather, it describes the people indigenous to much of Canada. The term for the indigenous people in WA, OR, ID, and MT is "Native American" or "American Indian" depending upon the nation. Most nations go with "American Indian." These terms have meanings especially to the peoples they describe. The term "Austrian" does not apply to the peoples in Germany even though the peoples of both nations have the same culture, language, etc. Likewise, the Yakima, Spokane, Shoshone, Suquamish, Duwamish, Nez Perce, etc. are not "First Nations." PS: HONOR THE TREATIES! OPPOSE THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE!!!

[@bradhaaf4749]

When the US was killing those people the canadians went to help them... wonder wich designation they would actually prefer ?

[@rorymcmanama1042]

Why did you respond to my post with some Canadian nationalism? It is not a US v. Canada thing. I know plenty of First Nations folks with plenty to say about the Canadaian gov't treatment. This is not about Canada nor USA. It is the indigenous people's right to choose what they are called.

[@anna-lisagirling7424]

I suspect Sam used the term "First Nations" because he was giving his talk in Vancouver, BC speaking to a largely Canadian audience. Using all manner of terminologies according to which one was used by who, when just to be strictly "correct" would have complicated his presentation unnecessarily. Besides, according to the time periods involved in his most interesting talk, the original inhabitants of the region were probably all called "Indians", anyway. That designator wan't correct, either.

[@rorymcmanama1042]

"The designator [Indian] wan't correct, either." That is not how language works. Language is filled with such geographic (among other) misidentifications. Example is English speakers refer to the peoples of the Netherlands as "Dutch" which is an anglicized version of "Deutsch" - the word the peoples of Germany a little up the coast use to describe themselves (i.e. a misindentification). It doesnt make the term "Dutch" incorrect as applied to the peoples of the Netherlands. Rather, it merely means the term was based upon a misunderstanding. "India" was always a European concept brought back from the Greeks. It originally described only modern day Pakistan (the Valley of the Indus River) and at the time of Columbus described all of South and most of Southeast Asia. Columbus was making the case he was in modern day Philippines or Indonesia. When Columbus and other Europeans applied this European concept "Indian" to the Americas, the European concept of "Indian" was thereby expanded to include the peoples of America. That is how language works. The word means what the people mean when they use it. Thus, it is no more incorrect to refer to a Lakota as "Indian" as a Punjabi. The modern nation state "India" is very, very, very new. More then 450 years newer than the application of the European concept of "Indian" to the peoples of the Americas. Having said that, any nation (such as many/most First Nations) or individual member thereof that takes offense by the term "Indian" is entitled to be referred to as some other ethnic designator. You will find that in Indian Country in the US, the overwhelming majority of Native Americans prefer the term "Indian". There is nothing incorrect about that.

[@tomkelly8827]

I know a great many Indians in Canada who call themselves Indians. Even if they are actually Metis. I have heard that the word "Indian is a short for for two different words. One is indigenous, and the other is a person from the Indus Valley in modern day India.

[@AshEn-l1z]

"colonial" history

[@nosimpathy6952]

I didn't wanna be that guy but I'm guessing he doesn't stand on guard for thee

[@thelastdefenderofcamelot5623]

the way how this bureaucracy works, it seems like Ottawa is totally useless and out of touch with British Columbians. I suspect its a matter of time when the west coast unites again. it'll happen but I just don't see it happening in my life time.

[@rollerhockey69king87]

Thanks Sam. Excellent research. Congratulations again on your election victory. Make some new history!