Although the Spaniards considered California to be their zone of influence, the Russian-American company pointed out that the border of their possessions north of San Francisco was not defined, and the local Indians were not under the Spanish control. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Luyand did not want to spoil relations with the Russian Empire and instructed the Viceroy of New Spain "to be extremely delicate in order to achieve the liquidation of the Russian settlement without prejudice to friendly relations between the two countries."
Relationship with the Spaniards
The primary goal of Russian diplomacy in California was to establish trade ties between this Spanish colony and Russian Alaska, which, if ever, happened before, it was illegal. The RAC board, following Rezanov's course, tried to get Spain's permission to trade with Spanish California, with the support of the Russian government, but Madrid did not support this idea. After an unsuccessful attempt to resolve the issue at the interstate level, Rumyantsev, at the behest of the Russian Tsar, left the RAC to achieve this goal on its own. At the beginning of 1812 on the "Mercury" in California was sent the appeal of the RAC board to the "neighbors of the Gishpans living in California" dated March 15, 1810, drawn up in St. Petersburg in Spanish, Latin and Russian, with a proposal to establish mutually beneficial trade. However, the Spanish authorities did not agree to trade.
Baranov continued to try to establish trade relations. The head of Russian America referred to the neighborhood and "mutual national benefits", convincing that the solution now depends only on the Spanish side. Meanwhile, the position of the Spaniards in the colonies was shaken. The creation of the Ross Fortress coincided with the revolutionary events in Spain and Latin America, which led to the disruption of the supply system and financing of the Spanish colonies, in particular, Spanish California. And the inhabitants of California have previously experienced a strong shortage of goods due to the metropolitan monopoly on trade in the colonies. Manufactured goods were practically absent in this peripheral Spanish colony, with its purely agrarian economy and relative isolation from the metropolis. Now the situation has deteriorated even more. The soldiers had nothing to pay, nothing to dress them in and nothing to arm them with. As a result, smuggling became the only source of industrial goods to supply civilians and garrisons.
The Spaniards quickly learned about the creation of a Russian settlement in California. In October 1812, Lieutenant G. Moraga, who already had experience in campaigns to the north, was sent for reconnaissance with several soldiers. He visited and examined Ross. When asked for what purpose the Russians settled here, Kuskov presented him with a document from the Company that the settlement was being created to provide the colonies with food and announced his desire to trade. Leaving, Moraga promised to ask the governor for permission to trade with the Russians, announcing the interest of the Spaniards in this trade. The news of the Russian fortress and the hospitality of its inhabitants quickly spread throughout California. At the beginning of 1813, Moraga paid a second visit to the fortress, this time with the brother of the commandant of San Francisco, and said that the governor had authorized trade, but on the condition that Russian ships did not enter California ports until official permission was obtained. and the goods were transported on rowing ships. As a gift, he drove 3 horses and 20 heads of cattle. Kuskov immediately took advantage of the permit, sending a consignment of goods to San Francisco, for which, at agreed prices, he received bread. Thus, the smuggling trade was replaced by semi-legal trade - sanctioned by local authorities at their own peril and risk.
Spain in 1812 concluded an alliance treaty with Russia. Therefore, Madrid could not react harshly to the news of the creation of a Russian colony in the lands that the Spaniards considered their sphere of influence. The Spanish Foreign Minister X. Luyand in a letter to the Viceroy of New Spain F. M. Calleja dated February 4, 1814, formulating a policy regarding the Russian settlement in California, even preferred to think that the Russians had not established a permanent settlement, but landed from - for temporary difficulties. At the same time, the Spanish minister spoke very positively - quite in the spirit of Rezanov's thoughts - about the possibility of Russian-Spanish trade between Alaska and California. “In this regard,” wrote Luyand, “His Majesty thinks it is important that you close your eyes to everything that is happening for now. Nevertheless, we are interested in the Russians not spreading their activities outside of Upper California. It is in this area that mutual trade in locally produced goods and products should be developed … At the same time, extreme delicacy should be shown in order to achieve the liquidation of the Russian settlement without prejudice to friendly relations between the two countries."
Thus, trade between the Russian Spanish colonies was tacitly recognized by Madrid, and the Californian authorities, following the viceroy's orders, from time to time formally demanded that Kuskov leave the Ross fortress.
It is worth noting that the Spaniards in the region did not have the combat capabilities to drive the Russians out of their outpost. In the summer of 1814, Officer G. Moraga once again visited Ross. He left one of the earliest surviving descriptions of the fortress, noting its considerable defensive capabilities. The information received from these visits hardly made the Spanish commanders happy. The Spanish garrison in San Francisco did not exceed 70 people, and gunpowder, in order to salute foreign ships entering the bay, the Spaniards had to beg from their own captains. In addition, Russia and Spain at this time were allies against the Napoleonic Empire. Therefore, the Spanish authorities could rely only on the goodwill of the Russians and periodically demanded that they liquidate the settlement in California.
In 1813, the Company's management sent a new proclamation on the Suvorov ship, where it emphasized the alliance of Russia and Spain in the fight against Napoleon, noting that “both nations … acted and are acting in the same spirit and with the same spirit characteristic of both nations”. In the summer of 1815, three Russian ships visited San Francisco: "Chirikov" with Kuskov in June-July, "Ilmen" with Commissioner Elliot in June and August, and, finally, in August, "Suvorov" under the command of Lieutenant MP Lazarev. All three ships were buying food.
Kuskov's house
Ilmen brig incident
The new governor of Upper California, Pablo Vicente de Sola, who arrived in 1815, having the appropriate instructions from Madrid, began to insistently demand the elimination of the Russian settlement, at the same time began to take tough measures against smuggling and illegal fishing. In addition, the Spaniards, in order to block the possible further advance of the Russians, accelerated the colonization of the northern coast of the Gulf of San Francisco: in 1817 the San Rafael mission was founded, and in 1823 the San Francisco Solano mission.
During this period, a trade and fishing expedition on the Ilmen brig was sent to the shores of California. The captain of the Ilmen was American Wadsworth, who was recruited into the service of the RAC, and H. Elliot de Castro was the chief commissioner. On the ship there was a fishing party of Kodiak people under the command of T. Tarakanov and cargo for trade with the clerk Nikiforov. Apparently, the RAC on the Ilmen was primarily represented by Baranov's son Antipater, who kept a travel log and controlled trade with the Spaniards. The Ilmena expedition lasted for about two years (1814-1815). The ship cruised along the mainland, landing detachments of hunters with kayaks for fishing sea otters. Elliot bailed out up to 10,000 piastres in cash by smuggling along the shores. The Ilmena spent the winter in Bodega Bay.
In the fall of 1815, the expedition suffered major setbacks. Two fishing groups were captured by the Spaniards patrolling the coast. On September 8, near the San Pedro mission, a group of 24 Kodiakites was captured, led by the Russian Tarasov. Moreover, the Spaniards acted extremely cruelly: "mutilating many with naked cleavers" and chopping off the head of one of the Kodiaks, Chukagnak. Tarasov and most of the Kodiakians were transferred to Santa Barbara, while Kyglaya and the wounded Chukagnak were left in San Pedro, where they were held for several days without food or water, along with the outlaw Indians. In captivity, the captives were pressured, repeatedly offered to accept the Catholic faith. At dawn, a Catholic priest came to the prison with several Indians. The Kodiakites were taken out of prison. They were surrounded by Indians, and the priest ordered to chop off Chukagnak at the joints of the fingers on both hands and the hands themselves, and then ripped open the dying man's stomach. The execution ended when a piece of paper was delivered to the missionary. Kiglaya was soon sent to Santa Barbara.
Many of the Kodiakites fled, but were captured in various places and taken to Santa Barbara. Some were able to get to Ross. Kyglaya with one of his comrades in misfortune, Philip Atash'sha, stole a kayak and fled on it, reaching the island of Ilmena (San Nicholas), where they lived, hunting for birds for food. Atash'sha died in 1818. Kyglaya in the spring of 1819 was removed by Ilmena and taken to Fort Ross. Kyglai's testimony was used by Russian diplomacy in a dispute with Spain. Already in the XX century, Chukagnak, in baptism, Peter, as a martyr for the faith, was canonized by the Orthodox Church in America under the name of St. Peter Aleuta.
A week after Tarasov and his group, the same fate befell Elliot. The Ilmena was off the coast of Southern California. Elliot and apparently Antipater Baranov were involved in illegal trade with Spanish missionaries, selling fabrics and tools in exchange for cattle. The leaders of the Russian expedition were aware that a Spanish frigate had arrived in Monterey with a new governor and were warned of the arrival of Spanish soldiers, who were ordered to seize the foreigners. But neither Wadsworth nor Elliot took the news seriously. As a result, on September 25, 1815, soldiers seized on the bank of Elliot and six other members of the team, including five Russians and one American, who were sent to Santa Barbara, and then to Monterey, where Tarasov's detachment was already located. Wadsworth managed to get away on a skiff with three crew members.
"Ilmena", because of the threat from the Spanish ships, took the rest of the fishing parties and went to the Gulf of Bodega. Then "Ilmena" went out to sea, but due to a leak she could not follow directly to Sith and headed for the Hawaiian Islands. In October 1816, the Russian ship "Rurik" arrived in San Francisco under the command of O. Kotzebue. Elliot, along with three Russians, were released. In February 1817, Lieutenant Podushkin was specially sent to Monterey on the "Chirikov", who rescued 2 Russians and 12 Kodiaks. Some Kodiakites who converted to Catholicism and married the natives wished to remain in the missions. Among the Russian prisoners from "Ilmena" was A. Klimovsky, who later became a well-known explorer of Alaska. Another prisoner - Osip (Joseph, Jose) Volkov found his second home in California and lived here a long life: he was a translator for the governor, got a family, eventually was even elected head of one of the villages, participated in the "gold rush" of 1848 and lived until 1866
In 1816 g.in San Francisco, negotiations were held between Otto Kotzebue and the Governor of Upper California, Pablo Vicente de Sola. The Spanish governor complained to Kotzebue about the Russian fortress, and Kotzebue, while agreeing that it was injustice, stated, however, that the issue was beyond his competence. Kotzebue's behavior could not please the RAC, and subsequently he was accused of abuse of power. On October 26, negotiations between Sola, Kotzebue and the guest from Ross Kuskov took place in San Francisco. The head of Ross Kuskov said that he founded the settlement by order of the authorities and can only leave it by order. Kuskov replied to all proposals that he could not leave a place without an order from his superiors, and in the event of an attack, he would defend himself. A protocol was signed with the positions of the parties, which was sent to St. Petersburg.
Since the local authorities could not oust the Russians, Madrid itself began to put pressure on Petersburg. In April 1817, the Spanish ambassador F. Cea de Bermudez presented a note of protest to the Russian government. Alexander's government, as usual, took an ambiguous position, not standing directly in defense of the Russian colony, created with the sanction and under the auspices of the emperor, and assigning the role of the defendant to the RAC itself. The RAC board was forced to submit to the Foreign Ministry an explanatory note "on the subject of its settlement near California", which substantiated Russia's rights to the settlement made and its interests in this region. But this conflict did not develop further, the case was hushed up.
Some deterioration in relations, expressed in the seizure of members of the Ilmena team, did not destroy the ties between Russian America and Spanish California. In the conditions of isolated California from other Spanish possessions, the local authorities could not neglect contacts with the Russians. Already at the beginning of 1817, Podushkin, with the permission of de Sola, was able to purchase the necessary amount of food in Monterey. Arriving in September 1817 on "Kutuzov" with an audit at the port of Rumyantsev and Ross, L. A. Gagemeister also visited San Francisco, taking Kuskov with him, where the latter received a load of bread. Gagemeister negotiated trade with the Spaniards. Instead of the unreliable payment proposed by de Sola in promissory notes to Guadalajara, Gagemeister put forward a counter-proposal for a joint fishery. The fishing should be carried out by the Russians, and the catch was divided into two equal halves. But de Sola did not agree to a joint fishery. KT Khlebnikov first arrived in California on the Kutuzov in 1817, who later became the main agent of the RAC in relations with the Spaniards and an inspector of affairs in Ross.
In 1818, Gagemeister again visited Monterey, where he bought food for the colonies. Since that time, Russian ships have made annual visits to Californian ports for provisions. The authorities not only did not interfere with this trade, but, on the contrary, actively helped. The governor notified the missions about the arrival of the Russian ship, its cargo and what the Russians needed, and the Russians about the presence of the necessary products in the missions.
Relations with Mexico
Mexico, which emerged in 1821, continued the policy of Spain and also made several attempts by diplomatic means to expel the Russians from Ross, but did not succeed. In addition, independent Mexico opened California's ports to foreigners, leading to increased competition from British and American merchants. The costs also increased, the Mexicans began to levy export-import duties and "anchor money".
The loose Mexican Empire, which emerged on the site of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, led by Emperor Agustin I Iturbide, attempted to oust the Russians from California. However, Mexico, like Spain, did not have power in the north, so it could not oust the Russians (later the Americans would take advantage of this, who would seize almost half of Mexican territory). So, in October 1822, the Mexican Commissioner in California, Agustin Fernandez de San Vicente, arrived in Ross with his retinue and demanded that the ruler K. Schmidt's answer about the rights of Russians to occupy this place, said that it belongs to Mexico, and the Russians should leave it. Schmidt presented the text of the Russian-Spanish Treaty of Alliance in 1812 and, following the tactics of his predecessor, said that he could not do this without the permission of his superiors. Fernandez de San Vicente demanded that Khlebnikov, who was in Monterey, eliminate Ross within six months. Khlebnikov promised to report this demand to the chief authorities. The Mexican commissioner first began to threaten coercive measures if his demands were not met, but then he softened his tone.
The Russian-American company continued to raise the topic of joint fishing. Sending ships to California, Sergei Yanovsky and Matvey Muravyov (ruled the RAC in 1818-1825) ordered to "persuade the Californians to conclude a condition" for such a fishery, but to no avail. Only in 1823, when L. A. Arguello, he concluded a similar agreement with Khlebnikov. Its terms assumed the delivery of 20-25 kayaks to San Francisco under the supervision of one Russian and one representative of the authorities, the division of the booty into two equal parts, the fishing period was determined in 4 months (December 1823 - March 1824), at the end of which it is concluded new contract, etc.
In early 1824, an Indian revolt broke out in Southern California, destroying several missions. The Governor of California asked the Russians to send him gunpowder. The Arab brig was sent to California. As M. I. Muravyov, "… for our own benefit and even existence we must by all means defend the Spanish settlements in California, and even more so for the mission." According to Muravyov, it was profitable for the RAC to sell weapons and gunpowder to its neighbors, as well as to provide a friendly service. Interestingly, Prokhor Yegorov, who had fled from Ross, was at the head of the uprising.
Thus, the Russians, despite the attempts of the Spaniards, and then the Mexicans, to force the RAC to leave Ross, established a rather mutually beneficial relationship. Russian America and Spanish (Mexican) California were interested in each other. These relations were mainly based on informal trade between Russians and Spaniards. The Spaniards provided food, the Russians - clothing and metal products. The importance of Russian industrial and handicraft products for California was quite great. Work and trade on order became widespread. The ordered goods were brought from Alaska, and were also manufactured in the workshops of Novo-Arkhangelsk and Ross. The importance of Russian industrial and handicraft products for California, cut off from the metropolis, was great. The construction of both Spanish missions north of San Francisco used tools and materials from Ross in exchange for livestock and other supplies. At the same time, the missionaries “had incessant relations with the fortress of Ross. And, as a move at a good time can be done in one day, then almost usual intercourse began."
