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The Fascinatingly Obscure History of Russian America
From Bristol Bay to Baja California, Russia’s influence in colonial North America is largely forgotten
In 1812, Czar Alexander I of the Russian Empire approved the establishment of a fort in North America. The fortress was dubbed Fort Ross and it was established on the California coast a mere 90 miles north of present-day San Fransisco. The fort was built as an extension of the Russian-American Company which had set up a strong commercial network in the rugged wilds of Alaska far to the north. Fort Ross was to be the southernmost outpost of the Russian-American Company designed to protect its interests from foreign powers active in the south while providing a place for their numerous merchant ships to resupply.
From Fort Ross, Russian ships sailed as far south as the Baja Peninsula in California and its existence had raised the question of whether or not Russia should invest in forming a permanent colony in California.
Fort Ross had a focus on agriculture and shipbuilding and was meant to strengthen Russia’s presence in North America. However, disease, legal claims by rival powers, and the over-extension of Russian assets led to the decline and eventual sale of the fort in 1841. Today, it represents the seldom talked about extent that…
