Glen
Moderator
The coast of the Pacific Northwest was an area of interest for several powers at the close of the 18th century. Four nations, America, Britain, Russia, and Spain all had some form of claims on the area and its lucrative fur trade.
Russian interests began with the efforts of Nikolai Rezanov who obtained an exclusive charter for Russian exploitation of the region.
The Russians early on ran into difficulties from the native Tlingit, who repeatedly drove the Russians north of their land, essentially holding Russian settlements West of the 140th meridian.
Rezanov personally tried to save the efforts in Russian North America by using his own formidable charm to finagle an agreement out of Spanish California for food resupply for the always hard pressed Russian fur traders. In the process he won a wife, the daughter of José Darío Argüello.
Unfortunately for Russian ambitions in America, with the onset of the Mexican revolution in 1810, Rezanov's deal with California collapsed, and with increasing pressures from the Americans, he instead focused in efforts into securing Sakhalin, which had succeeded by 1812.
Russian interests began with the efforts of Nikolai Rezanov who obtained an exclusive charter for Russian exploitation of the region.
The Russians early on ran into difficulties from the native Tlingit, who repeatedly drove the Russians north of their land, essentially holding Russian settlements West of the 140th meridian.
Rezanov personally tried to save the efforts in Russian North America by using his own formidable charm to finagle an agreement out of Spanish California for food resupply for the always hard pressed Russian fur traders. In the process he won a wife, the daughter of José Darío Argüello.
Unfortunately for Russian ambitions in America, with the onset of the Mexican revolution in 1810, Rezanov's deal with California collapsed, and with increasing pressures from the Americans, he instead focused in efforts into securing Sakhalin, which had succeeded by 1812.