Biography

Alexander II was the Emporer of Russia, Crown Duke of Finland, and the Kind of Poland throughout his long career. He lived during some of the most repressive periods in Russian history, coming into power during the Crimean war, and contributing to this oppression with the establishment of the Zemstvo, or, local councils with political and monetary power over their regions. His oppressive governance would lead to his eventual assassination in 1881. He is mentioned in a letter from Charlotte Saunders Cushman to Frances "Fanny" Adeline Seward in 1865, wherein Cushman explains her experiences in Europe while staying in Rome, Italy.