Clash of Cultures & the Discovery of Gold      123456

The Fort Ross Settlement  (1812 – 1830s)

Fort Ross was the first Russian settlement in California. It drew its name from a shortened form of “Russiya,” or Russia, and was located about 25 miles north of Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast. The fort was the easternmost colony established by Russia during its 300-year campaign of global expansion.

The Journey to Fort Ross

Russian colonization in North America began in the 1780s with a settlement on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Russian traders established colonies to trap sea otters and harvest their pelts, which were prized throughout Europe and Russia. But the Alaskan weather was harsh, and survival was difficult.

The traders began exploring locations farther south on the Pacific coast. They hoped to establish an agricultural colony to produce enough food to support those living in Alaska during the long winter months. Expeditions in search of a new agricultural site began in the early 1800s on the coast north of San Francisco Bay. This area was also the northernmost edge of Spanish-controlled territory.