In 1834, Baron Wrangel, the governor of the Russian colonies on the Northwest coast of America stopped US vessels from entering ports and bays north of the border at 54°40′ between the United States and Russian America. The governor's reasoning was that the free navigation treaty between the two nations in the region had expired and he wanted to call attention to it. In Andrew Jackson's 1835 State of the Union Address he expressed the hope that the treaty would be renewed but hinted at some "stronger motive" behind the actions of the governor. Further study reveals that it was what could be best described as "corporate welfare" being given to the Russian owned Russian American Company (RAC). The Russian American Company had as its mission the establishment of new settlements in Russian American, conducting trade with the tribes and expanding colonization. It was Russia's first joint stock company and was headquartered in present day Alaska. Negotiations with Russia took almost four years, and in the end the treaty was not renewed.
In 1834, Baron Wrangel, Captain of the Imperial Russian Navy and Governor of the Russian Colonies in America sent notice to two American captains (Snow and Allen) who were in the port of Novo Archangelesk that the treaty allowing the use of the gulfs, straits, ports and bays within the limits of the Russian possessions on the Northwest coast of America ceased for vessels on April 17 of that year. A copy of his warning was also sent to the United States Congress with instructions to inform all American citizens. This warning called attention of the United States government that the 4th article of the Treaty of St. Petersburg signed in 1824 had expired. The fourth article regulated commerce and navigations of vessels from each nation along various points on the northwest coat of America for a period of 10 years. It secured to the vessels of contracting parties the reciprocal rights of fishing and navigation for purposes of trading with the natives in the interior seas, gulfs, havens, and creeks on the northwest coast.
On June 24, Secretary of State, John Forsyth returned a letter to Baron Krudener of Russia, stating that President Jackson was ready to take action to renew the article, so long as the Russian Government was "in a favorable spirit". Baron Krudener replied that regretfully the Emperor was in poor health and could not answer immediately. The Baron refused to give any opinion on the intentions of the Emperor. In July, Secretary Forsyth thanked the Baron for the response, and informed the Baron that the U.S. government would not be sending out any official notices that the treaty had expired. Frosyth explained that the citizens of the United States were already bound to know existing laws and obligations under the treaty and instead an unofficial notice of the warning given by Baron Wrangel to the captains of American vessels was to be published in US newspapers. In addition, the Secretary of State sent a letter to William Wilkins, US Ambassador to Russia with instructions from the President to immediately enter into negotiations with the Government of His Imperial Majesty to renew the fourth article of the St. Petersburg convention.
Based on letters exchanged, one reason for the urgency was that the Jackson administration feared that Baron Wrangel's warning to the American captains was nothing more than an attempt to give the Russian American Fur Company an unfair advantage in Russian ports. Wilkins was given instructions to explain to the Russian government that "representations growing out of private interests are always to be received with great caution, and should not be suffered to influence the decision of a question which may be productive of injury to the citizens and subjects, respectively, of the contracting parties". In November of 1835, Mr. Wilkins was able to send a direct request to Count Nesselrode regarding the renewal of the article, and in December he received notice that the Imperial Government thought it was best to postpone a decision until some of their officers form the northwest coast could be consulted. The delay continued until 1837 when Secretary Forsythe instructed the new Ambassador Mr. Dallas that the President was anxiously waiting for an answer. Negotiations concluded in 1838 with Russia declining to renew the article for an additional ten years.
In December of 1835, President Jackson was still hopeful that the treaty would be renewal. He was hopeful, but not naive, for in his annual report of 1835 he hinted that "stronger motives" might exist that could interfere with the treaty. Those stronger motives were likely those that would give the Russian American Fur Company privileges beyond those of its American competitors.
"Our political and commercial relations with Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Denmark stand on the usual favorable bases. One of the articles of our treaty with Russia in relation to the trade on the northwest coast of America having expired, instructions have been given to our minister at St. Petersburg to negotiate a renewal of it. The long and unbroken amity between the two Governments gives every reason for supposing the article will be renewed, if stronger motives do not exist to prevent it than with our view of the subject can be anticipated here."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. 2020. Seventh Annual Message | The American Presidency Project. [online] Available at: <https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/seventh-annual-message-2> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
1903. Appendix To The Case Of The United States Before The Tribunal Convened At London Under The Provisions Of The Treaty Between The United States Of America And Great Britain Concluded January, 24, 1903, Volume 1. Alaskan Boundary Tribunal U.S. Government Printing Office, 1903 - Alaska, pp.232 to 249.
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