Episode 233: Gwenn Miller, A History of Russian America

by Liz CovartApril 9, 2019

Play episode

When we think about colonial American history we think about the colonies of the English, the Dutch, the French, and the Spanish. Rarely do we think about the colonies of the Russians. And yet Russia had colonies in North America.

Gwenn Miller, an Associate Professor of History at the College of the Holy Cross, joins us to investigate a history of Russia’s colonies in North America with details from her book Kodiak Kreol: Communities of Empire in Early Russian America.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.

Episode Summary

Gwenn Miller, an Associate Professor of History at the College of the Holy Cross, joins us to investigate a history of Russia’s colonies in North America with details from her book Kodiak Kreol: Communities of Empire in Early Russian America.

As we explore Russian America, Gwenn reveals why Russia chose to establish colonies in Alaska in 1784; The history of the Alutiiq people of Kodiak Island and the role they played in Russia’s colonial ambitions; And, details about the Russian fur trade and the important role it played in Russia’s colonization of North America.

What You’ll Discover

Russia’s plan to establish colonies in North America
Russia’s colonization of Alaska in 1784
Why we don’t know a lot about Russian America
Types of historical sources about Russian America
Kodiak Island
The Alutiiq people of Kodiak Island
The extensive trade network of the Alutiiq
Why the Russians made their way to Kodiak Island
Vitus Bering
Relations between the Alutiiq and Russian fur traders
The Russian fur trade
Hunting for sea otter
Relations between Russian colonists and the Alutiiq
Impact of the colonists’ gender imbalance
Kodiak kreols
Catherine the Great and Alaska
The governance of Russian America
The role the Russian Orthodox Church played in North American colonization
The Russian American Company
The end of Russian America

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Meet Ups & Talks

Sponsor Links

Complementary Episodes

Time Warp Question

How might our understanding of early American history be different if we followed the history of the United States from west to east, instead of east to west?