Background Fort Astoria
john jacob astor german-american merchant on several decades financed several successful mercantile missions qing empire. promoted idea of joint company canadian north west company (nwc) open trade posts in pacific northwest. however, astor unable convince british subjects join him in such venture. didn t deter ambitious financier, went ahead plans creating american fur company (afc) in 1808.
the pacific fur company (pfc) established shortly afterwards afc subsidiary establish commercial stations on pacific coast. notably astor able recruit several nwc partners , employees pfc, including donald mackenzie, alexander mackay , duncan mcdougall. create these new fur trade locations, astor planned send detachments of laborers , officers both overland on route similar 1 taken lewis , clark expedition , on merchant vessels rounded cape horn columbia.
the tonquin used carry detachment of employees pacific under command of captain jonathan thorn. after several days spent surveying mouth of columbia river, 33 men disembarked on 12 april 1811. among pfc men eleven kanaka laborers kingdom of hawaii, including naukane (also known john coxe). notable among staff of fort astoria 2 scottish emigrants canada, alexander mackay, had been north west company, , alexander ross.
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