History

Find articles pertaining to human history in the Puget Sound and Salish Sea regions from the perspective of the social and economic sciences. Subtopics may include history of science and policy regarding Puget Sound protection and restoration, as well as related cultural history.

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Overview

The Puget Sound region has a long history that has shaped the culture and environment we experience today. View a timeline describing key events in the Puget Sound region dating from Washington statehood to the present.

Chief Sealth, known to settlers as Chief Seattle. Photo: E.M. Sammis/MOHAI.

Related Articles

The tire chemical 6PPD is known worldwide for its deadly effect on salmon, but it also has a complex history. We look at how this history connects to important breakthroughs in modern transportation and medicine and how the unique chemical structure of 6PPD makes it an environmental hazard.
Their genetic makeup, shaped through history, has given European green crabs remarkable advantages over native species.
In August 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe signed an agreement to become co-managers of two national wildlife refuges in the Puget Sound region. It was the first agreement of its kind in the state, and since that time, the tribe has been leading site operations at Dungeness Spit and Protection Island, greeting visitors, fixing roads, and hosting scientists. We spoke with refuge manager Fawn Wagner to get her insights into what it means for both wildlife and the tribe's strong historical and cultural relationship with the region.
The University of Washington research vessel R.V. Brown Bear made 381 scientific cruises between 1952 and 1965.
A shark species the length of a bus was once common in the Salish Sea. Then it was labeled a "destructive pest" and nearly wiped out. Can the gentle and often misunderstood basking shark make a comeback?
Three common words and their legal interpretation a half-century ago helped set the stage for a cultural revival among Native Americans while propelling an environmental movement that still resonates today. Environmental reporter Christopher Dunagan revisits the legal reasoning behind the famous Boldt decision that upheld tribal fishing rights in the state of Washington.