Description
At the ill-fated summit meeting with Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, Vladimir Putin recalled the era when Russia owned Alaska. From 1732 to 1867, Russians explored, colonized, and ruled Alaska, drawn by the sea otters and other furs. They continued to hunt them down the West Coast. Russian Orthodox missionaries converted many native people. From 1812 to 1841, Russians occupied Fort Ross near Monterey, California. How was Russian America ruled? What were the relations with the native people? Why was Russian America sold to the United States in 1867? What has been the strategic importance of the Russia-Alaska frontier? What legacy remains of Russian America?
