Battle of Sitka
| Battle of Sitka | |||||||||||||||||
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| Conflict | Russian colonization of the Americas | ||||||||||||||||
| Date | 1804 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place | Sitka, Alaska | ||||||||||||||||
| Result | Russian victory | ||||||||||||||||
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The Battle of Sitka was the last major armed conflict between Russia and the Alaskan Natives.
A Russian-American Company trading post was built in the town of Sitka around 1799, managed by Alexandr Baranov, the Russian governor. In 1802 the Tlingit attacked the post and burned it to the ground. In 1804 the Russians marched out against the Tlingit forces based in a fort near the mouth of the Indian River east of the town. The Russians destroyed the fort and defeated the Tlingit in battle along the shore of Sitka Sound.
This was the Tlingit's last stand and they began to leave the area afterward although they were not completely gone until 1822. In 1808, with Baranov still governor, Sitka became the capital of Russian America.
The battlefield and fort location are preserved in the Sitka National Historical Park.
Sources
- http://www.vacationalaska.com/alaska/sitkamain.htm
- http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=AKSITK&CU_ID=127