Battle of Sitka
The 1804 Battle of Sitka: the last major armed conflict between Russians and Alaska Natives.
Last updated
Russian explorer Aleksey Chirikov first made European contact with Tlingit country in 1741.[1] The Tlingit people had occupied parts of southeast Alaska for about 11,000 years before the first European arrival in 1741.[2][1]
Key facts and history
On 7 July 1799, Baranov arrived in Sitka Sound with 100 Russians, 700 Aleuts, and 300 other natives aboard multiple vessels.[3] The British merchant ship Unicorn took three Russians and 20 other native allies as survivors, and later delivered them to Baranov on June 24.[4][5]
What the cited sources add
The Benson account notes that Chief Katlian of the Kiksadi Tlingit successfully led warriors against the Russians in 1802.[1] Benson states that the Russians eventually recaptured Sitka and maintained a base called New Archangel.[1] The Hope account details that the Tlingit's goal was to hold out until northern clans arrived, but a shortage of gunpowder limited their ability to remain under siege.[6] The Hope account says that a stray shot hit a canoe carrying Tlingit gunpowder, setting the cargo on fire and causing an explosion.[6]
Hope writes that after sunset, the Kiks.ádi held their last gathering in the sapling fort, which ended with a loud drum roll and a wail of anguish.[6]
References
- Benson, "Tlingit", Everyculture.com. facts only, no text reused. everyculture.com
- Wikipedia, "Battle of Sitka" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Benson, "Tlingit", Everyculture.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Battle of Sitka" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Khlebnikov, K.T., 1973, Baranov, Chief Manager of the Russian Colonies in America, Kingston: The Limestone Press,; Brown, S.R., 2009, Merchant Kings, New York:St. Martin's Press, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Battle of Sitka" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Black, "Russians in Alaska", University of Alaska Press, 2014, p. 158–159 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Battle of Sitka" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Khlebnikov, K.T., 1973, Baranov, Chief Manager of the Russian Colonies in America, Kingston: The Limestone Press, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Battle of Sitka" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hope, "Will the Time Ever Come?", Alaska Native Knowledge Network, 2000, p. 48–79 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Battle of Sitka (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Russian colonization of North America
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Battle of Sitka (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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