The Danish navigator who mapped the edge of the Russian Empire
In short: In the 18th century, Russia sought to expand its dominion and find a sea route to China. To do this, they sent a Danish navigator into the treacherous Arctic waters to solve a massive geographical mystery: were Asia and the Americas connected by land?
Having travelled to the East Indies, the Danish explorer Vitus Bering entered Tsar Peter I the Great's navy with the rank of sublieutenant in 1861. In 1724, the Tsar appointed him to lead an expedition to determine if a land connection existed between Asia and North America. This mission was driven by Russia's dual interests in colonial expansion and finding a northeast passage—a sea route to China around Siberia.
Bering's first major success came in August 1728, when he passed through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean. While bad weather prevented him from seeing the North American coast, he concluded that the two continents were not joined by land. This finding laid the groundwork for Russia's eventual foothold on the North American continent.
His second major venture, part of the Great Northern Expedition (1733–1743), proved far more perilous. On June 4, 1741, Bering sailed from Kamchatka aboard the St. Peter, accompanied by Aleksey Chirikov on the St. Paul. A storm eventually separated the two vessels, with Chirikov independently discovering several Aleutian Islands. Bering reached the Gulf of Alaska on August 20, 1741, but was forced to focus on reconnaissance of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands due to the urgent need to return to safety.
The expedition ended in tragedy. Suffering from scurvy, Bering's command faltered, and the St. Peter was wrecked in early November on Bering Island, near the Kamchatka Peninsula. Bering died there on December 19, 1741, at age 60. However, survivors eventually reached Siberia, bringing news of the immense fur-trading potential in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Vitus Bering and the European Discovery of Alaska
- Also: Vitus Bering | Explorer of Alaska, Siberia & Kamchatka | Britannica
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-vitus-bering-and-the-european-discovery-of-alaska.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Exploration · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
