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Russian Alaska
Russian America (russian: Русская Америка, Russkaya Amerika) was the name for the Russian Empire's colonial possessions in North America from 1799 to 1867. It consisted mostly of present-day Alaska in the United States, but also included small outposts in California, including Fort Ross, and three forts in Hawaii, including Russian Fort Elizabeth. Russian Creole settlements were concentrated in Alaska, including the capital, Novo-Arkhangelsk (''New Arkhangelsk''), which is now Sitka. After first landing in Alaska in 1741, Vitus Bering claimed the Alaskan country for the Russian Empire. Russia later confirmed its rule over the territory with the ''Ukase'' of 1799 which established the southern border of Russian America along the 55th parallel north.United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''Text of Ukase of 1779''in ''Behring sea arbitration'' (London: Harrison and Sons, 1893), pp. 25-27 The decree also provided monopolistic privileges to the state-sponsor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russian Colonization Of North America
The Russian colonization of North America covers the period from 1732 to 1867, when the Russian Empire laid claim to northern Pacific Coast territories in the Americas. Russian colonial possessions in the Americas are collectively known as Russian America. Russian expansion eastward began in 1552, and in 1639 Russian explorers reached the Pacific Ocean. In 1725, Emperor Peter the Great ordered navigator Vitus Bering to explore the North Pacific for potential colonization. The Russians were primarily interested in the abundance of fur-bearing mammals on Alaska's coast, as stocks had been depleted by over hunting in Siberia. Bering's first voyage was foiled by thick fog and ice, but in 1741 a second voyage by Bering and Aleksei Chirikov made sight of the North American mainland. Russian ''promyshlenniki'' (trappers and hunters) quickly developed the maritime fur trade, which instigated several conflicts between the Aleuts and Russians in the 1760s. The fur trade proved to be a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
