The Founder of Russian Business in NorthAmerica

By the end of the 17^th century, practically all leading European powers showed a great interest in the northern part of the Pacific. The Russians were little by little pushing out of their own lands. To win the competition with the Europeans, Russian fur hunting enterprise had to be established soundly.

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov, an Irkutsk salesman, serving to merchant Golikov, who grew rich in fur trading, was the first to grasp the matter. Thanks to successful marriage he became independent and together with other Irkutsk merchants organized a hunting expedition to America. They decided to set up trading stations on the American shores as their regular bases.

While traveling along the Aleutian Archipelago and the shore of Alaska, fighting for territories with the locals, building houses, the Russians were also engaged in hunting of sea-animals: otters and fur seals, as well as traded with the aboriginals.

The Russian co-operatives built several stockaded towns on the continental coast of America, which soon became the center of trade as well as propagation of the European culture among the Indians, including converting to orthodoxy. A newly established company of Russian tradesmen willingly hired the Eskimo and Aleut men to serve as trappers.

In a period of three or four years Shelikhov created a huge fortune through the sea animal hunting business, and established the basis for development of the Russian way of life in America. He had grandiose plans to settle down in America, where he intended to found Slavorossia – the center of all Russian estates with schools for Russian and local children, theaters, shipyards to build Russian fleet, and raw material processing factories.

He dreamed of arranging trade with Japan, China, Korea, India and the Philippines.

To embody his plans, Shelikhov went to St.Petersburg to the Imperial court. Catherine II listened to him but rejected his request to establish a common company instead of many small ones. But she granted him the right for exclusive trade in the North America and the Aleutian Islands. The failure in negotiations did not stop Shelikhov. He returned to Alaska and actively continued to realize his plans.

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov became an outstanding person but suddenly died at the age of 48. After the death, his wife Natalia Alexeevna continued the business he started.

In 1799 Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov, Russian statesman, helped her to get permission from Paul I for the establishment of Russian-American Company (RAC). The whole glorious history of Russian America is closely associated with this Company.

7. Answer the following questions:

•Why did all leading European powers show a great interest in the north of the Pacific?

• What was necessary to do to win the competition with the Europeans?

• Did Shelikhov or Golikov grasp the matter of Russian development in America?

•What was the aim of the expedition to America?

•What did the Russians propagate among the locals?

• What grandiose plans did Grigory Shelikhov intend to realize in America?

• Why did he suggest sending ships from the Baltic Sea to America?

•Did the failure stop Shelikhov? Why?

•Who helped Natalia Alexeevna to continue the business of her husband?

8. Write if the statement is true (T) or false (F):

____ The Russians were little by little pushing out of their own lands because they were very weak.

____ Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov became independent thanks to sable furs.

____ Merchants from Irkutsk organized the expedition to America.

____ During the expedition the local people were hostile towards the Russian explorers.

____ Russian people propagate the Russian life style among the aboriginal peoples.

____ Slavorossia was considered to be the central district in Russian America.

____ Russian-American Company was established by Nikolay Rezanov and Natalia Shelikhova.

The first Russian settlement in America

9. Speak about the following points:

• European powers showed a great interest in the northern part of the Pacific.

• Propagation of European culture among the Indians was very active.

• G. Shelikhov had grandiose plans for settling down in America.

• G. Shelikhov got only the right to exclusive trade in the North America and the Aleut Islands.

• Russian America had a glorious history.