Qualla: Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Seamistcd, CC BY-SA 4.0. On October 18, 1867, the Russian flag descended over Sitka and the American flag rose in its place. The transfer of Alaska was complete - $7.2 million for 586,412 square miles, roughly two cents an acre. Critics called it 'Seward's Folly' after Secretary of State William Seward, who negotiated the purchase. The folly produced oil, gold, salmon, and strategic position that proved invaluable. Sitka, the former colonial capital, preserves Russian America in Orthodox churches and cemetery, in the Tlingit history of resistance, in the layers of culture that three nations deposited on these rain-forested islands. The Russians left; their architecture and religion remained.

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Image: Seamistcd | CC BY-SA 4.0

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: The Russians

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit D. Curl, Sitka National Historical Park, Public domain. Russian fur traders reached Alaska in the 1740s, exploiting sea otter pelts for the Chinese market. The Russian-American Company established permanent settlement in 1799, choosing Sitka for its harbor and abundant resources. Tlingit warriors destroyed the first settlement in 1802...

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Image: D. Curl, Sitka National Historical Park | Public domain

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: The Purchase

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Bob Keefer, CC BY 2.0. By the 1860s, Russian America was expensive and vulnerable. The sea otters were depleted; the colony barely paid for itself. Russia had lost the Crimean War and feared British seizure of Alaska. The Americans, recovering from Civil War, seemed unlikely adversaries. Negotiations p...

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Image: Bob Keefer | CC BY 2.0

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: The Tlingit

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit The original uploader was Lordkinbote at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5. The Tlingit lived in the Sitka region for thousands of years before Russian arrival. They were traders, warriors, and artists whose elaborate clan houses and totem poles demonstrated sophisticated culture. Russian colonization disrupted but didn't destroy Tlingit society. The 180...

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Image: The original uploader was Lordkinbote at English Wikipedia. | CC BY-SA 2.5

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: The Orthodox

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Public domain. St. Michael's Cathedral, rebuilt after 1966 fire, anchors Sitka's Russian legacy. The onion dome silhouette is visible throughout town - Orthodox architecture in temperate rainforest. The Russian Orthodox faith took root among Native converts; it persists today as living traditio...

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Image: Public domain

Sitka: Where Russia Sold America Its Future: Visiting Sitka

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Sebwite (talk), Public domain. Sitka is located on Baranof Island in southeast Alaska, accessible only by air or sea. Alaska Airlines serves Sitka from Juneau, Ketchikan, and Seattle. The Alaska Marine Highway connects Sitka to other Southeast communities. The town is compact and walkable. St. Michael's Cathed...

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Image: Sebwite (talk) | Public domain