Editing Alexander Archipelago (section)

== History ==
The first [[Europe]]an to visit the archipelago was the Russian navigator [[Aleksei Chirikov]] in 1741, who sighted the coasts of [[Noyes Island|Noyes]] and [[Baker Island (Alaska)|Baker Islands]] (both off the west coast of Prince of Wales Island), as well as Baranof, Chichagof, [[Kruzof Island|Kruzof]], and [[Yakobi Island]]s.<ref name="Golder1922">{{cite book |last=Golder |first=Frank Alfred and Leonhard Stejneger |title=Bering's voyages: an account of the efforts of the Russians to determine the relation of Asia and America |publisher=American Geographical Society |year=1922 |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_7P0HAQAAIAAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_7P0HAQAAIAAJ/page/n57 36] |quote=bering 1741 voyage.}}</ref> In 1774, [[Juan José Pérez Hernández]] sighted the south coast of Dall Island,<ref name="Hayes2001">{{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Derek |title=Historical atlas of the North Pacific Ocean: maps of discovery and scientific exploration, 1500–2000 |publisher=Douglas & McIntyre |year=2001 |location=Vancouver}}</ref> while [[Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra]] entered [[Bucareli Bay]] off Prince of Wales Island the following year.<ref name="Hayes1999">{{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Derek |title=Historical altas of the Pacific Northwest: Maps of exploration and discovery; British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Yukon |publisher=Sasquatch Books |year=1999 |location=Seattle}}</ref> In 1792, [[Jacinto Caamaño]] sighted Revillagigedo Island and the [[Gravina Islands]], discovering [[Clarence Strait]].<ref name="Hayes">{{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Derek |title=America Discovered: A Historical Atlas of North American Exploration |publisher=Douglas & McIntyre |year=2004 |location=Vancouver}}</ref> [[George Vancouver]] and [[Vancouver Expedition|his men]] made an extensive survey of the archipelago in 1793 and 1794, circumnavigating both Revillagigedo and Admiralty Islands, charting the entirety of [[Kuiu Island]], the east sides of Baranof and Chichagof Islands, and [[Etolin Island|Etolin]], Wrangell, [[Zarembo Island|Zarembo]], [[Mitkof Island|Mitkof]], and Kupreanof Islands.<ref name="Vancouver1801">{{cite book |last=Vancouver |first=George, and John Vancouver |title=A voyage of discovery to the North Pacific ocean, and round the world |publisher=J. Stockdale |year=1801 |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/avoyagediscover00vancgoog}}</ref> Within a decade, the [[Russia]]ns had traversed [[Peril Strait]] separating Chichagof and Baranof Islands, and in the following decades found the straits and passages separating several of the other major islands. An 1844 Russian chart shows Kupreanof separated from Mitkof Island and Etolin, Wrangell, [[Woronkofski Island|Woronkofski]], and Zarembo Islands separated from each other.<ref name="RussianMap1844">{{Cite map|title=KAPTA ЛЕДОВИТАГО МОРЯ И ВОСТОЧНАГО OKEAHA. Составлена съ новѣйшихъ описей ВЪ ГИДРОГРАФИЧЕСКОМЪ ДЕПАРТАМЕНТЬ МОРСКАГО МИНИСТЕРСТВА.|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|(U.S.) Government Printing Office]]|publication-place=[[Washington, D.C.]]|collaboration=[[Alaskan Boundary Tribunal]]|trans-title=Facsimile: Part of Map of the Frozen Ocean and the Eastern Ocean. Compiled from the latest documents in the Hydrographic Department of the Ministry of Marine.|language=Russian|year=1904|orig-date=1844|via=[[David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]]|publication-date=1904|scale=9800000|type=Atlas map|page=15|url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~204782~3002152|access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref>

The archipelago was a locus of the [[Maritime Fur Trade]] during the early 19th century. Control of the islands passed from Russia to the United States with the [[Alaska Purchase]] in 1867.

According to Donald Orth's ''Dictionary of Alaska Place Names'' (p.&nbsp;64), the Alexander Archipelago received its name from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1867. The island chain is named for Tsar [[Alexander II of Russia]].<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1420060 |name=Alexander Archipelago |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref>

On an 1860 map of Russian America (Alaska), the island group is called the King [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]] Archipelago.