Description
Book SynopsisFrom 1741 until Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867, the Russian empire claimed territory and peoples in North America. In this book, Ilya Vinkovetsky examines how Russia governed its only overseas colony, illustrating how the colony fit into and diverged from the structures developed in the otherwise contiguous Russian empire. Russian America was effectively transformed from a remote extension of Russia''s Siberian frontier penetrated mainly by Siberianized Russians into an ostensibly modern overseas colony operated by Europeanized Russians. Under the rule of the Russian-American Company, the colony was governed on different terms than the rest of the empire, a hybrid of elements carried over from Siberia and imported from rival colonial systems. Its economic, labor, and social organization reflected Russian hopes for Alaska, as well as the numerous limitations, such as its vast territory and pressures from its multiethnic residents, it imposed. This approach was particularly
Trade ReviewA valuable and thought-provoking contribution to the increasingly sophisticated body of literature on Russian America. * Alaska History *
Will likely serve as the standard work on the subject for many years...The book is now the most reliable source on the Russian colony. * Journal of World History *
Placing his book within the larger framework of the new imperial history, Vinkovetsky offers an impressive overview of the thoughts and actions of naval officers, the administrators of the Russian American Company, and state actorsEL.Vinkovetsky's narrative deftly shows how practices in Russian America were variations on time-tested ways of administering the Russian Empire. * Kritika *
Written in an engaging style, meticulously researched, tastefully illustrated, and scrupulously documented, Russian America is an authoritative work that makes valuable contributions to the histories of Russia, imperialism, and colonialism. Covers the historical and historiographical terrain with a commendable concision and clarity. * Slavic Review *
An invaluable study for understanding how the possession of Alaska fit into the larger context of the Russian Empire's continuous expansion since the sixteenth century. * Pacific Historical Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Paradox of Overseas Colonialism for a Continental Empire ; Part I: Building a Colonial System ; 2. From Siberia's Frontier to Russia's Colony ; 3. Contractor of Empire ; 4. Indigenous Labor and Colonial Insecurities ; Part II: Making Natives Russian ; 5. Colonial Trade and Co-optation in a Russian Key ; 6. Dependence, Family, and Russianization ; 7. Building a Colonial Diocese ; Conclusion: The Meaning of 1867 ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index
