Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra

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Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra, Marina real, circa 1785.

Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra, or simply José Esteban Martínez (1742–1798) was a

explorer, native of Seville. He was a key figure in the Spanish exploration of the Pacific Northwest and the Nootka Crisis
.

Training

In 1755 or 1756 Martínez joined the marine Colegio de San Telmo in Seville, a school for pilotos (a non-commissioned naval rank equivalent to Master). By 1773 he was a piloto segundo (second class piloto) at the Naval Department of San Blas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (present day Mexico).[1]

Pacific Northwest

The Spanish had explored and claimed the Pacific Northwest region in 1774 under

Russian America
colonization in Alaska was a threat to Spanish territory claimed there and in the upper Pacific Northwest.

Nootka Sound

Further information: Nootka Sound

In 1789 the

Sub-Lieutenant), led an expedition that arrived at Nootka Sound in early 1789. The force consisted of the warship La Princesa, commanded by Martínez, and the supply ship San Carlos (el Filipino), under Gonzalo López de Haro. He gave Nootka Sound the name Puerto de San Lorenzo de Nuca. The expedition built a settlement there named Santa Cruz de Nuca, including houses, a hospital, and the presidio Fort San Miguel.[3]

The Martínez expedition arrived at Nootka Sound on May 5, 1789. During the summer of 1789 a number of fur trading vessels, British and American, arrived at Nootka. The US ships, the Columbia Rediviva and Lady Washington under John Kendrick and Robert Gray were allowed to operate unmolested. Kendrick and Martínez were friendly toward each other and Kendrick provided some assistance to Martínez during the seizure of the Argonaut.[4]

A conflict over violating Spanish sovereignty rights of trade and navigation on the coast arose between the captain of John Meares' British Argonaut,

Alessandro Malaspina
in 1791

These events at Nootka Sound led to the

Kingdom of Spain and Kingdom of Great Britain about colonization and territorial access of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. The crisis nearly led to a war. Spain was looking to France for support but when they refused Spain had to back down and opened negotiations. A series of Nootka Conventions began which led to Spain's capitulation of the area. Subsequently, Martínez lost favor due to his actions in the incident, and a new Viceroy was appointed, Juan Vicente de Güemes, Count of Revillagigedo. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra diplomatically implemented the Nootka Conventions in 1792 with British explorer George Vancouver
.

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-7748-1367-9
    .
  2. ISBN 0-87062-265-X
    .
  3. ISBN 978-0-7748-1367-9
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-06-202019-2
    .

External links
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