England and Russia: The Beginnings of the Struggle for the Pacific Colonies, 1700–1750

Abstract

The article is about the development of the struggle between Russia and England for colonies in the North Pacific Ocean. The purpose of our research is to show the relationship between events in the North Pacific Ocean and the general course of colonization of new territories. The interest of Peter the Great in England is considered. The article identifies factors that contributed to the development of the American northwest, including the level of geographical knowledge in both countries about the borders of America and Asia. It is shown that their study became a complex and multifaceted process in which English and Russian navigators took part, and it was controlled by the state authorities of both countries. The importance of the initiative of private commercial companies in the development of territories is emphasized. It is noted that Great Britain initially pursued a cautious policy, which gave way to an active phase at the end of the 18th century. If Great Britain’s interest was primarily associated with the search for a northern route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, then Russia’s advance to the north-west of America was due to economic and political reasons. The article looks at the changes in the attitude of Russia as well as England in relation to the territories under consideration throughout the period under study. It is concluded that the peculiarities of sailing in the waters of the Pacific Ocean made a collision on the high seas less likely than in coastal waters and on land, where Russian fur hunters were subsequently opposed by representatives of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The article is written on the basis of an interdisciplinary approach, using archival sources. The results we obtained can be used in the theoretical and practical parts of interaction with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as England.

Keywords

• russia
• great britain
• colonies