Thomas Douglas 1771-1820
Thomas Douglas, the 5th Earl of Selkirk, was a Scottish peer and majority shareholder in the Hudson's Bay Company whose colonization efforts indirectly but permanently altered the economic destiny of the Pacific Northwest. By establishing the Red River Colony in central Canada directly across the supply lines of the rival North West Company, he ignited a bitter corporate war that severely strained the Montreal-based firm's operations out to the distant Columbia District. The fierce, often violent conflict financially exhausted both organizations and forced their historic 1821 amalgamation shortly after Douglas's death. This resulting merger eliminated the regional fur trade rivalry and established a powerful Hudson's Bay Company monopoly that dominated the territory of present-day British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for decades.
Scottish philantrophist who sponsored immigrant settlements in Canada at the Red River Colony.
Biographical Overview
- Lived from 1771 to 1820
- Born: Jun 20, 1771, St. Mary's Isle, Scotland
- Died: Apr 8, 1820, Paris, France
Historical Events
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Entry Details
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Last updated: 2026-09-30