| Furs and Frontiers in the Far North: The Contest among Native and Foreign Nations for the Bering Strait Fur Trade Subjects: Bering Strait Region (Alaska) -- History -- 19th century; Fur trade -- Alaska -- Bering Strait Region -- History -- 19th century; Merchants -- Alaska -- Bering Strait Region -- History -- 19th century; Alaska -- Commerce -- Russia -- History -- 19th centu; With expert scholarship and a keen eye for detail, Bockstoce provides the first analysis of the historic competition among the Russians, British, and Americans for control of Alaska. Award-winning author John R. Bockstoce fills a major gap in the historiography of the area in covering the scientific, commercial, and foreign-relations implications of the northern fur trade. In addition, the book provides rare insight into the relationship between the Western powers and the Native Americans who provided them with fur, ivory, and whalebone in exchange for manufactured goods, tobacco, tea, alcohol, and hundreds of other things. But this is also the story of the enterprising individuals who energized the Alaskan fur trade and, in doing so, forever altered the region's history. Arctic specialist John R. Bockstoce is an independent scholar and the author of many books, monographs, and articles on the history of the Arctic. |