Sitka was originally settled by the Tlingit people and was originally called Sheet’-ká X'áat'l, meaning “People on the outside of Baranof Island.” In 1799, the Russian settled Old Sitka and called it Fort Saint Michael. Tlingit warriors destroyed the original settlement in June 1802, killing many of the Russians and few managing to escape. In August 1804, Alexander Baranov, the governor of Russian America, returned to Sitka and bombarded the Tlingit fort on the 20th. They were unable to cause any significant damage and so launched an attack on the fort, but were repelled. After two days of bombardment, the Tlinigit people “hung out a white flag” on the 22nd and deserted their fort on the 26th. In victory of their battle, Russians stabled New Archangel as a permanent settlement. The Tlinigit’s established a fort on the Chatham Strait side of Peril Strait in order to enforce a trade agreement with the Russian establishment. Sitka was designated the capital of Russian America in 1808 and was the site for the Alaska purchase on October 18, 1867. Alaska was purchased for $7.2 million, 2 cents per acre. Sitka remained the capital until 1906, when it was moved to Juneau. In 1912, the establishment of the Alaska Native Brotherhood addressed racism against Alaskan Natives. The US Navy established the first seaplane base on Japonski Island in 1937. Fort Ray, an ary garrison, began construction in 1941 to protect the Naval air station. The garrison was deactivated after World War Ii and the naval station in June 1944.