In 1725 the Tsar of Russia, Peter the First, sent an expeditionary team which was captained by Vitus Bering to explore the Pacific Ocean to see if there was a route from Asia to America, which is known as the First Kamchatka Expedition. This expedition lasted until 1730 when the Russians were forced to turn back although they had not found the American coastline. This was the first scientific expedition by the Russian Naval force. The main goals of the Russians were to find America, as well as chart a map which would consist of a route through a straight that would make transportation to the New World easier, and on a more reliable route. They also planned on charting stars, weather patterns, local flora and fauna, as well as indigenous people …show more content…
In 1784 Russia founded Three Saints Bay on Kodiak Island, then called Kadiak ( Кадьяк) as a permanent residence and trading center in Alaska created by Baranov and Grigori Shelikhov. Shelikov realized that Kodiak had an abundant of resources, sheltered bays, and rich and expansive hunting grounds for sea otters, deer, bear, sheep, bison, and many other animals. Although the Alutiiq people tried to repel him and his men, Shelikov was determined to establish a permanent settlement on the Kodiak archipelago. With them they brought modern artillery and weaponry, Shelikov subdued the Native Alutiiq, marking a new time period on Kodiak Island and for Kodiak natives. 1786, Shelikhov returned to Russia and in 1790 Grigory Shelikov sent Aleksandr Baranov to manage his affairs in Alaska. Kodiak was then ran by Baranov who was the Governor of Russian America, he then built an otter pelt warehouse, or in Russian “magazin,” on a hill looking over what is now St. Paul Harbor. While on Kodiak Island the Russians took note of the Native people, animals, and plants, climate, the ebb and flow of the annual winter ice pack, and the resources of the sea and land, including marine and land fur-bearing mammals, and minerals. Russia at this time was still exploring Alaska, and they were killing fauna for money that they could receive from China for the pelts. Many Native Alaskan tribes did not take the killing of animals for their pelts to kindly. They fought with the Russians when they thought they could win, and this led to the slaughtering and raping of many Native Alaskans, because they had clothing from head to toe made out of otter fur. The Russians would steal boats and enslave women, burn down buildings, and leave villages burning. At first Russians wanted to make Native tribes go extinct, but they later realized they could enslave the men and