Imperial science: a naturalist in the Pacific Northwest

British imperial expansion opened up new worlds for naturalists to collect and catalogue many species of plants and animals unknown in Europe. David Douglas’ travels to the northwest region of North America in the 1820s exemplified, in many ways, the science of empire. Under the aegis of the Hudson's Bay Company, the main representative of British influence in the Northwest, Douglas was able to journey throughout the region and collect a significant number of plants that found their way into British gardens. Yet Douglas was not only a collector aided by imperial institutions, but also, through his expertise, an agent of imperialism.