The Shadow of the Fortress at Esquimalt
An 1889 editorial argues that the growing military presence across the border in British Columbia demands a rapid response from the U.S. government to fortify Puget Sound.
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It appears that the fortification of Esquimalt is intended almost entirely as a menace to the United States. It is a matter of grave concern to the United States that the entrance to Puget Sound is virtually commanded by a powerful fortress which is in possession of a foreign power. Puget Sound is essentially an American body of water, and the United States should be prepared to defend it whenever necessary. The only recourse is to fortify the American shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca as strongly as Great Britain fortifies the Canadian shore. For every soldier on the Canadian shore, there should be a soldier on the American shore. For every gun on the Canadian shore there should be a gun on the American shore. For every British war vessel in Puget Sound, there should be an American war vessel.
“Puget Sound is essentially an American body of water, and the United States should be prepared to defend it whenever necessary.”
While the specific geopolitical tension of 1889 between the U.S. and the British Empire has long since cooled, the strategic anxiety over Puget Sound's vulnerability remains a constant in Pacific Northwest history. Today’s debates regarding regional infrastructure and the balance of power on the Salish Sea echo this century-old desire to secure the border against perceived external threats.
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