1743-1794

Commander of the Spanish ship Sonora on its exploration of the northwest coast of North America. In 1775 Bodega y Quadra sailed north along the California coast as far as what is now Juneau, Alaska, claiming portions of the coastline for Spain. Distance from Spain's other territories made his claims north of Oregon hard to maintain. After years as head of the Spanish Navy in the area, he surrendered Spain's exclusive claims to the area in negotiations with England.