Аннотация

The article discusses one of the most understudied problems of the history of the Russian America. The certain distinguishing features that put the Russian-American Company in a very unique place in Russian and American history are covered. For example, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was Russia’s first and greatest overseas venture (it traded in furs, mainly sea otters), as well as the first government-charted joint-stock company. The article provides a thorough, detailed analysis of the history of the Russian American Company through its economic and financial components at the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The core of the crisis was that the RAC was not able either to pay dividends to shareholders or service its credit obligations in a timely fashion. The chapter closes with the conclusion that because of timely and extraordinary measures in financial management the Russian-American Company managed to avoid very serious difficulties, even a potential catastrophe.