Russian America

When the survivors of the St. Peter returned, they brought back a fortune in furs they had gathered during their 10 months stranded on Bering Island. And they described lands rich in fur-bearing animals to the east. Furs, especially those of the sea otter, were in high demand in China. One sea otter pelt could fetch the equivalent of a year's salary. Russian fur hunters in Siberia soon set out for Alaska in hopes of collecting riches in furs. 

This would be the beginning of Russian-America, the name Russians used for present-day Alaska. The Russian-America colony would eventually stretch from the Aleutian Islands to Southeast Alaska, with outposts as far south as California and Hawaii. Most of their settlements were along the Pacific coast, although some posts reached the Interior and Arctic. Russians would remain in Alaska for 125 years until it was sold to the United States in 1867.

The Aleuts and Alutiiq were the most affected by the Russians' presence in Alaska. The Athabaskans of Cook Inlet and the Tlingit also saw great changes to their communities during the Russian era. Alaska Natives who lived further north and inland, such as other Athabaskans, the Inupiaq, and the Yupik, felt less of an impact from the Russians. All, however, were profoundly affected by the Russians' history in Alaska, as we will examine in the following chapters.

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