Married to the Empire: Three Governors' Wives in Russian America 1829-1864

289 Pages·2015·1.825 MB·English

by  Susanna Rabow-edling

Married
to the
eMpire
Three Governors' Wives
in Russian America
1829–1864
Susanna rabow-edling
University of AlAskA Press
fairbanks
text © 2015 University of Alaska Press
All rights reserved
University of Alaska Press
Po Box 756240
fairbanks, Ak 99775-6240
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
rabow-edling, susanna.
Married to the empire: three governor’s wives in russian America 1829–1864 / by
susanna rabow-edling.
pages cm
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-1-60223-264-8 (cloth: alk. paper)—isBn 978-1-60223-265-5
(electronic: alk. paper)
1. Governor’s spouses—Alaska—Biography. 2. Wrangel, elisabeth
von, 1810–1854. 3. etholøn, Margaretha, 1814–1894. 4. furuhjelm,
Anna, 1836–1894. 5. russians—Alaska—Biography. 6. rossiisko-
amerikanskaia kompaniia. 7. Alaska—History—to 1867. 8. sitka
(Alaska)—Biography. i. title.
f907.r33 2015
979.8’010922—dc23
[B]
2015003421
Cover and interior design by Mark Bergeron, Publishers’ Design and Production
services, inc.
Cover image: sitka, Alaska 1839, watercolor by Magnus von Wright, photographer
Markku Haverinen, 2006. from The enckell Collection, The national Museum of
finland.
This publication was printed on acid-free paper that meets the minimum requirements
for Ansi / niso Z39.48–1992 (r2002) (Permanence of Paper for Printed library
Materials).
ConTenTs
Maps v
Acknowledgments xi
introduction 1
part i: eliSabeth von Wrangell
Chapter One The Journey across Siberia to Russian America 41
Chapter Two The Encounter With the New World 77
part ii: Margaretha etholén
Chapter Three From Helsinki to Sitka 107
Chapter Four The Inner Life of a Governor’s Wife 139
part iii: anna FuruhjelM
Chapter Five The Perfect Wife in the Wilderness 171
Chapter Six A Woman’s Mission and Sphere 211
Epilogue 245
Bibliography 253
Index 269
iii

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vii
Map of europe. important cities in the lives of the three women. (Bill nelson)
viii
Map of north and south America. routes of the etholéns and furuhjelms.
(Bill nelson)
ix