Why Did Russia Sell Russian America? (On the 150th Anniversary of the Signing of the Treaty (March, 18 (30), 1867) on the Cession of the North American Colonies to the United States)

Despite the abundant research literature and publication of numerous historical sources the reasons for which Russia sold Russian America to the United States remain a subject for lively discussions. Therefor the present study deals with this topic. In order to achieve the aim the following tasks are to be carried out: evaluating the present state of research in this area; identifying specific features of creation and activities of RAC as a government-controlled joint stock company; determining the causes of its liquidation. The research is performed using concepts of modernization theory, including the global trend that became evident since the mid-XIX century - transformation of the Asia-Pacific Region into the center of civilizational development ("Mediterranean Sea of the Future"). The source base of research consists of the publications of specialists (historians, economists, lawyers) and published documents reflecting the history of the Russian colonies in North America. The author came to the following conclusions. Since the discovery of the North-Western coast of North America and Aleutian Islands by V.I. Bering and A.I. Chirikov this region had received an influx of Russian fur hunters and merchants (promyshlenniki) who set up joint stock companies. They were backed by the government which in 1787 proclaimed the North American territories of its colonial possessions and authorized the creation of RAC in 1799. As time went on the company began to govern the colonies. Taking into account the fact that the colonies were located on another continent the authorities in Saint-Petersburg decided to use a special commercial and administrative entity (company) for exploitation of natural resources and governing the colonies. By the middle of the XIX century in terms of its economic and managerial activities RAC copied the functions of the British East India Company in the Russian context. The reasons for the sale of Russian America included: cessation of the RAC activities in the Far East; growing opposition from the natives; the colonies' vulnerability to attack from sea during the Crimean War of 1853-1856; abolition of East India Company and imposition of direct rule in India; considerable efforts required for securing Russia's rights for the Amur River region, the Maritime territory, Sakhalin. The final decision to sell Russian America and terminate the activities of RAC was made on December, 16, 1866 at the special meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting's participants included: Minister of Foreign Affairs A.M. Gorchakov, Grand Duke Konstantin Niko-layevich, Finance Minister M. von Reutern; Vice admiral N.K. Krabbe, chief administrator of the Ministry of the Navy; Privy Councillor E.A. Stoeckl, the Russian minister in Washigton; the Emperor Alexander II.

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