Juan Pérez 1725-1775
Juan Pérez was a Spanish naval officer who led the first documented European expedition to the Pacific Northwest coast in 1774 to assert Spain's territorial claims against Russian expansion. Commanding the frigate Santiago, he sailed as far north as Haida Gwaii in present-day British Columbia and conducted the first recorded European trade with the Indigenous peoples of the region. During his return voyage south, Pérez sighted and charted key coastal landmarks, including Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island and Mount Olympus in modern-day Washington, which he originally named Cerro Nevado de Santa Rosalía. Although he died at sea the following year during a subsequent northern expedition, his pioneering 1774 voyage laid the geographical groundwork for all subsequent Spanish exploration in the Pacific Northwest.
Biographical Overview
- Lived from 1725 to 1775
- Born: Jan 1, 1725, Palma, Majorca, Spain
- Died: Nov 3, 1775, At sea (Pacific Ocean)
Historical Events
- Juan Perez in the Santiago makes first contact with the Northern Haida
Bibliography for Juan Pérez
A listing of books related by subject
Juan Pérez on the northwest coast six documents of his expedition in 1774 by H. K. Beals
Juan Pérez on the Northwest Coast: Six Documents of His Expedition in 1774, translated and annotated by Herbert K. Beals, presents the first English translations of primary records from the earliest European voyage to reach the Pacific Northwest coast. The book compiles diaries and firsthand accounts from Pérez, his second-in-command Estéban José Martínez, and the Catholic priests aboard the Spanish frigate Santiago during their seven-month expedition. These translated documents offer vivid details of the crew's navigation along the British Columbia coastline and their unprecedented early encounters and trade with Indigenous peoples, including the Haida and Nuu-chah-nulth. By reviving these long-ignored archival materials from Mexico City and Madrid, the book restores a crucial chapter of Spanish maritime history that was largely overshadowed by later British exploration.
xxvii, 270 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 27 cm.
Non-circulating [ 1 ]
Entry Details
Places
Toponyms
- Santa Margarita [spa]
Bibliography & Citations
- Juan Perez on the Northwest Coast: Six Documents of His Expedition in 1774
Related Online Resources
Spanish Exploration: Juan Perez Expedition of 1774
Spanish Exploration: Juan Perez Expedition of 1774
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Last updated: 2026-09-30