Ferdinand von Wrangel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ferdinand von Wrangel
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Admiral Ferdinand von Wrangel, c. 1860.
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| 6th Governor of Russian America | |
| In office 1 June 1830 – 29 October 1835 |
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| Preceded by | Pyotr Yegorovich Chistyakov |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Kupreyanov |
| Minister of the Navy | |
| In office 18 May 1855 – 27 July 1857 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Menshikov |
| Succeeded by | Nikolay Metlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 December 1797 Pskov, Governorate of Pskov, Russian Empire |
| Died | 25 May 1870 (aged 72) Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire |
| Nationality | Baltic German |
| Spouse | Elisabeth Teodora Natalia Karolina de Rossillon |
| Children | Wilhelm, Peter, Ferdinand, Elisabeth, Eva |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Branch/service |  Imperial Russian Navy Imperial Russian Army |
| Years of service | 1815–1864 |
| Rank | Admiral Adjutant General |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War |
Ferdinand von Wrangel (born December 29, 1797 – died May 25, 1870) was an important explorer and sailor from the Russian Empire. He was a Baltic German who served in the Imperial Russian Navy.
Wrangel was also an honorable member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and helped start the Russian Geographic Society. He is most famous for being the chief manager of the Russian-American Company. This meant he was basically the governor of the Russian settlements in what is now Alaska.
Contents
Life and Adventures of Ferdinand von Wrangel
Wrangel was born in Pskov, a city in Russia. He came from a noble Baltic German family called Wrangel. He finished his studies at the Naval Cadets College in 1815.
After graduating, he joined a world trip on the ship Kamchatka from 1817 to 1819. This journey was led by Vasily Golovnin. Wrangel was one of many Baltic-German sailors who played a big part in Russia's sea explorations.
Exploring the Arctic: The Kolymskaya Expedition
In 1820, Wrangel was chosen to lead the Kolymskaya expedition. This trip aimed to explore the Russian polar seas. He sailed from St. Petersburg and arrived in Nizhnekolymsk in November 1820.
In 1821, he traveled to Cape Shelagskiy using dog sleds. He also sailed up the Kolyma River, going about 125 miles inland. On March 10, 1822, he continued his journey north. He spent 46 days traveling on the ice, reaching 72° 2' north latitude.
Wrangel's expedition proved that there was an open sea north of the Kolyma River and Cape Shelagsky. Before this, many people thought it was dry land. With his team, he mapped the Siberian coastline. This included the area from the Indigirka River to the Kolyuchin Bay in the Chukchi Sea.
His team also gathered important information about glaciology (the study of ice), Earth's magnetic fields, and climatology (the study of climate). They also learned about the natural resources and the native people of this far-off region.
A Second Trip Around the World
After his Arctic expedition, Wrangel was promoted to commander. From 1825 to 1827, he led another Russian world voyage on the ship Krotky.
Governor of Russian Alaska
In 1829, Wrangel was given a very important job: chief manager of the Russian-American Company. This made him the governor of Russia's settlements in North America, which is now Alaska.
Before he left for Alaska, he married Elisabeth Theodora Natalie Karoline de Rossillon. He traveled to his new post in 1829, going through Siberia and Kamchatka.
As governor, he made many changes to how things were run. He encouraged growing potatoes and opened several mines. He also pushed the government to organize a fur company. He helped bring in investments and sent out missionaries.
Wrangel started surveying the land, building roads, and constructing bridges and government buildings. He wrote down his observations about the geography and the local people. He was called back to Russia in 1834. On his way back, he traveled through the Isthmus of Panama and visited several cities in the United States.
In 1837, Wrangel was promoted to rear admiral. He then became the director of the ship-timber department in the navy office, a job he held for twelve years. He became vice-admiral in 1847.
He left the navy for a short time in 1849 to become the president of the Russian-American Company. He had been a member of the company's board of directors since 1840. In 1854, he returned to active service. He was made chief director of the navy's hydrographical department. From 1855 to 1857, he served as the Minister of the Navy.
Later Years and Legacy
Wrangel retired from service in 1864. He strongly disagreed with the sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867. He believed Russia should keep its American territories.
Wrangel wrote a book called Journey along the northern coastline of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean. He also wrote other books about the people of northwestern America. He spent his last years in Ruil, Estonia, where he had bought a manor in 1840. He passed away in Dorpat, Livonia.
Wrangel's Writings and Influence
Wrangel's detailed journals from his first journey were published in German in 1827. An English version, Wrangell's Expedition to the Polar Sea, came out in 1840. The full report of his expedition was published in St. Petersburg in 1841.
His book was even translated into French and then into another English version. This book influenced Charles Darwin, the famous scientist. Darwin was interested in how animals find their way. He thought Wrangel's observations showed that humans and animals might have a natural ability to know where they are going, even without maps or compasses. This idea is called "dead reckoning."
Darwin wrote about how the native people could find their way through difficult ice. They did this even when he, an experienced surveyor with a compass, could not. He believed this showed a natural sense of direction.
Wrangel also published other works, including:
- Report of Travel from Sitka to St. Petersburg (1836)
- Statistical and Ethnographical Notices on the Russian Possessions in North America (1841)
Places Named After Wrangel
Many places are named after Ferdinand von Wrangel to honor his explorations and achievements:
- Wrangel Island: An arctic island north of Chukotka. It was named by Thomas Long. Wrangel had predicted its existence after seeing many birds flying north.
- Wrangell Island: An island in the Alexander Archipelago, off the coast of Alaska.
- Wrangell, Alaska: A city on Wrangell Island. It is one of the oldest non-native settlements in Alaska.
- Fort Wrangel: A US Army base at Wrangell.
- Wrangell Airport: An airport near Wrangell, Alaska.
- Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area: A census area that includes Wrangell Island.
- Wrangell, Alaska: A city on Wrangell Island. It is one of the oldest non-native settlements in Alaska.
- Wrangell Narrows: A winding channel in the Alexander Archipelago.
- Cape Wrangell: Located on Attu Island, it is the westernmost point of Alaska and the United States.
- Mount Wrangell: A large volcano in Alaska.
- Wrangell Volcanic Field: Named after Mount Wrangell.
- Wrangell Mountains: A mountain range named after Mount Wrangell.
- Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve: A large national park named after the Wrangell mountains.
- Wrangellia: A special geologic terrane (a piece of Earth's crust) found in Southeast Alaska.
- Ferdinand von Wrangell`i nim. Roela Põhikool: A school in Roela, Estonia, named in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Ferdinand von Wrangel para niños
