US ResearchConflictsEarly Republic and War of 1812Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael)
Early Republic and War of 1812

Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael)

1802
Alaska
Era
Early Republic and War of 1812
Year
1802
Location
Alaska
Status
Verified engagement
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Russian-American Company
Forces
Tlingit Kiks.ádi Clan
VS
Victor
Tlingit
Forces
Russian Empire (Russian-American Company) assisted by Imperial Russian Navy
Outcome
Russian victory
The Battle

History & Significance

The Battle of Sitka (Russian: Сражение при Ситке) in 1804 was the last major armed conflict between the Russians and Alaska Natives, and was initiated in response to the destruction of a Russian trading post two years before. The primary combatant groups were the Kiks.ádi ("Ones of Kíks", Frog/Raven) clan of Sheetʼká Xʼáatʼi (Baranof Island) of the Tlingit nation and agents of the Russian-American Company assisted by the Imperial Russian Navy.

Duration
4 days (October 1, 1804 – October 4, 1804)
Historical context

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Casualties & Losses

12 killedmany wounded

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael) take place?
Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael) took place in 1802. 4 days (October 1, 1804 – October 4, 1804).
Where was Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael) fought?
Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael) was fought in Alaska, United States.
What was the outcome of Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael)?
Russian victory
What was the significance of Tlingit Destruction of Fort St. Michael (Redoubt St. Michael)?
The Battle of Sitka (Russian: Сражение при Ситке) in 1804 was the last major armed conflict between the Russians and Alaska Natives, and was initiated in response to the destruction of a Russian trading post two years before. The primary combatant groups were the Kiks.ádi ("Ones of Kíks", Frog/Raven
More from this era

Other Early Republic and War of 1812 Engagements

Battle of Sitka (Old Sitka)
1802
Alaska
Battle of Sitka (Second Battle / Katlian's War)
1804
Alaska
Tlingit Destruction of Fort Resurrection
1805
Alaska
Tlingit-Russian Conflicts at Novo-Arkhangelsk 1810s–1840s
1815
Alaska
Bombardment of Nulato 1851
1851
Alaska
All battles in Alaska
Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Wikipedia source.

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