Steven Sabol - The Touch of Civilization: Comparing American and Russian Internal Colonization

Comparing American and Russian Internal Colonization

Steven Sabol

University Press of Colorado

Boulder

To my grandfather,
George ONeal Sutton (18961982).

The law was his vocation,
but history was his passion.

2017 by University Press of Colorado

Published by University Press of Colorado
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Boulder, Colorado 80303

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Printed in the United States of America

The University Press of Colorado is a proud member of The Association of American University Presses.

The University Press of Colorado is a cooperative publishing enterprise supported, in part, by Adams State University, Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Regis University, University of Colorado, University of Northern Colorado, Utah State University, and Western State Colorado University.

This paper meets the requirements of the ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

ISBN: 978-1-60732-549-9 (cloth)
ISBN: 978-1-60732-550-5 (ebook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sabol, Steven, author.
Title: The touch of civilization : comparing American and Russian internal colonization / Steve Sabol.
Description: Boulder, Colorado : University Press of Colorado, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016036164 | ISBN 9781607325499 (cloth) | ISBN 9781607325505 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Comparative civilization. | ImperialismHistory. | United StatesTerritorial expansion. | RussiaTerritorial expansion. | Collective memoryRussia. | Collective memoryUnited States. | Dakota IndiansHistory. | KazakhsHistory.
Classification: LCC CB451 .S23 2016 | DDC 909dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016036164

An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open access ISBN for the PDF version of this book is 978-1-60732-698-4; for the ePUB version the open access ISBN is 978-1-60732-725-7. More information about the initiative and links to the open-access version can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org.

The University Press of Colorado gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University toward the publication of this book.

COVER PHOTO CREDITS. Front, clockwise from top left: courtesy of Central State Archives, Republic of Kazakhstan, 2-27605; courtesy of Denver Public Library; courtesy of Denver Public Library; courtesy of Central State Museum, Republic of Kazakhstan, NVF 5289/11. Back: courtesy of Central State Archives, Republic of Kazakhstan, 2-95119 (left); courtesy of National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution (right).

CHAPTER ONE
The Sioux And The Kazakhs

CHAPTER TWO
Pre-Nineteenth-Century Expansion

CHAPTER THREE
Conquest and Martial Resistance

CHAPTER FOUR
Through the Colonial Looking-Glass

CHAPTER FIVE
Internal Colonization

CHAPTER SIX
Assimilation and Identity

This book is unlike any other project I have ever undertaken and, admittedly, it is the happy coincidence of fly-fishing and history. In fact, the book ought to be subtitled a river ran through it, but Norman Maclean beat me to it. My interest in this comparison started in 2006 while fly-fishing in Yellowstone National Park. I came across a road sign in the park by Nez Perce Creek that briefly described the flight of the Nez Perce and their incredible escape through the park. I was curious. I picked up a few books and started learning about the tragic fate of Chief Joseph and his people, but more importantly, I began to notice similarities between nineteenth-century American attitudes toward Indians in general and Russian attitudes toward the empires minorities living in central Asia and the Caucasus. These similarities sparked a comparative curiosity. I noticed similar attitudes, imageries, stereotypes, and consequences. I am not a disciple of Marc Bloch, considered by many to be the father of comparative history, but came to this comparative study only after reading literature outside of my studies in Russian and central Asian history. I am, essentially, an accidental comparativist.

Having spent years in central Asiachiefly in Almaty, Kazakhstan, studying the regionI had already noticed the geographic similarities between the Kazakh Steppe and the northern plains. But until 2006 I had not made the connection between the American process of expansion and colonization and Russian expansionin particular, the colonizers attitudes, perceptions, imagery, and typologies of colonized minorities. Donald W. Treadgolds books and articlesrequired reading for anyone interested in imperial Russian expansionshould have alerted me to the possible similarities, as he encouraged scholars to test Frederick Jackson Turners frontier thesis in the Russian historical context. It did not register with me, in part because Turner and Treadgold tended to neglect American and Russian indigenous populations; they focused instead on expansion and resettlement of pioneers and peasants but gave minimal attention to the policies implemented by the United States and Russia to delimitate spaces between settler and native.

As a student, I was keen to understand Russia and its historical relationship with the Kazakhs and never considered a comparative possibility, certainly not with the United States. What comparative works I read dealt with China and its relationships with minority nationalitiesespecially those living in Xinjiang, such as the Kazakhs and Uighurs. In fact, I only read Turners famous article once before, as an undergraduate, so I was somewhat blissfully unaware of the century-long debate about his thesis. Having trained in graduate school as a Russian and central Asian historian, I had a foundation for one side of this comparison, but not the other.

After thinking about the similarities and, perhaps more importantly, the differences between American expansion and colonization of the Sioux and Russian expansion and colonization of Kazakhs, I approached my American history colleagues to discuss the idea. Their enthusiastic response to this project frankly surprised meor perhaps I was simply pleased they did not greet it with derisive laughter. The next test for this comparative study came at the 2009 Western Historical Association annual conference in Denver, where I presented a rough essay of this project. Once again, I was somewhat taken aback by the thoroughly positive response. The Western Historical Quarterly published a significantly revised version of that paper in 2012, which reinforced considerably my belief that this project had merit. This work is an attempt to elaborate more fully on the various themes and interpretations addressed in that article.

It was not possible to complete this project without the invaluable assistance, advice, encouragement, and good humor from so many friends and colleagues. This project expanded and improved, I hope, due to their support. First, my colleagues in the History Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte were amazing, patient, and sincerely interested as this book evolved. Most notably, John David Smith and Carol Higham read numerous drafts, listened to my complaints and travails, gave advice, asked questions, and consistently offered inspiration during its several years incubation. Several other colleagues offered advice and support along the way, including but certainly not limited to Jrgen Buchenau, Dan Dupre, Peter Thorsheim, and Benny Andres. In addition, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UNC Charlotte, Dr. Nancy Gutierrez, made available financial research support and time to write. I also benefited tremendously from my universitys Faculty Research Grants Program, which provided further financial means to travel to archives in Kazakhstan and the United States. In addition, grants from the Charles Redd Center at Brigham Young University made it possible for me to conduct research in regional archives and libraries.