The Early Russian
Period
1. The Russians made virtual slaves of the Aleuts. They men
were forced to do the hunting while the women became playthings for the
Russians.
2. Catherine II demanded better care and treatment of the
Aleuts, but didn’t reinforce it. Eventually the fur tax imposed on the Natives
was terminated in 1769.
3. In June of 1802, Baranov was in Kodiak while the Tlingits
attacked and destroyed Mikhailovsk, killing or capturing most of the whites and
Natives employed there.
4. Rezanov aimed to make Russia America a healthier
environment. He restrained men from excessive drinking, proposed setting up
homes for the aged, establishing schools for the children, creating a people’s
court to act on minor offenses, reprimanded the clergy for their interference
in government affairs, warned against overhunting, and promised to root out
abuses that had crept into the company’s operations.
5. Baranov worked closely with Americans and traded with
them.
6. Russians had exclusive rights to hunt and trade with the
Natives in the area north of 55 degrees north latitude while Americans had the
same privileges on the southern half.
7. Because of wars, Russians and their newly obtained
American ships could not use ships flying American flags to send their furs to
Canton and had to trade overland in Kiahta.
8. The Russians were interested in getting resources from
Hawaii, but Baranov withdrew support of Schaffer after the man disobeyed his
orders in obtaining “trading privileges only.” Without Baranov’s support,
Russia left Hawaii.
9. Baranov asked to be replaced several times, but both
times a successor had been named, the man in question had died before making
the journey to America.
10. Baranov was persuaded into returning to Russia, where he
was wrongly told he could give the company’s directors the benefit of his
counsel and experience in Russia America. Alas, this was only a lie told to get
Baranov out of the area because the company knew he still had influence over
the people.
