S06E03: Alaska Assault: Russia’s Secret American Empire

Following the expedition of Vitus Bering in 1741, the Russian Empire planted its flag firmly in North America. With riches in mind, traders and trappers from Siberia soon found a wealth of furs and opportunity in the great wilderness of Alaska. Although the Russians prospered as North America’s fourth colonial superpower, its unfettered exploitation of the native Aleutic peoples backfired in the form of open rebellion. From 1763 to 1804, Russian North America was plagued by warfare, and the strains of a globalized economy began to take its toll on the tribal societies of Alaska. On this episode we discuss the rebellions of Russia’s secret North American empire.