In the eighteenth century Tlingit People lived on and around what is now known as Baranof Island. A small hill which was separated from the rest of the island at high tide was a principal settlement of one of the Tlingit clans. The Tlingit called the place Noow Tien (Big Fort). In 1799, Alexandr Baranov, in search of a year round ice-free harbor, decided to establish the headquarters for the Russian-American Company on land six miles north of Noow Tien. He called his new settlement St. Archangel Mikhail. Starting in 1800 relations between the Tlingit and the Russians began deteriorating and there is some evidence that British and American traders had a hand in agitating native hostility toward the Russians. In 1802, the Tlingit attacked and burned St. Archangel. Twenty Russians and 130 Aleut natives were killed. In 1804, Baranov returned with several vessels and a large force of Aleut natives. Yuri Liansky commanding the Russian armed sloop Neva, which was in the process of making Russia's first cicumnavigation of the globe, participated in the attack and was instrumental in the victory. Baranov occupied Noow Tien which he called Castle Hill and attacked the Tlingit at a point a mile or so away. Fighting continued for several days and resulted in the Tlingit being forced to flee. Baranov then constructed a new settlement which he called Novoarchangel (New Archangel). Novoarchangel became the defacto capital of Russian territories in North America and Baranov remained in control of Russian activities until his departure at the end of 1818.
|
|
