Grand Duke Alexis Romanov was the fourth son of Alexander II, the czar of Russia (1855-1881).  The visit of the handsome, 21-year-old nobleman to America in 1871-1872 was a social event and journalistic story of the first rank.  He was the highest-ranking Russian to pay an official visit to the United States (to that point in time), and his tour revived fond memories of the arrival of the Russian fleet in 1863.  The formal reception for him at the Port of New York on November 21, 1871, included a U.S. Navy squadron, fleets from local yacht clubs, and dignitaries from American politics, business, and society.  Thousands of New Yorkers filled the sidelines of the parade route to welcome the grand duke jubilantly to their city.  For several weeks, Harper’s Weekly published news, feature stories, illustrations, cartoons, and an editorial concerning his visit. 

Following a meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant in Washington, D.C., Grand Duke Alexis returned to New York City.  He inspected the fortifications in New York Harbor, reviewed the cadets at West Point and the Metropolitan Fire Department in Manhattan, and attended gala dinner-dances in his honor at the Brooklyn Naval Yard and the Academy of Music.  He then journeyed across the country to San Francisco, stopping along the way at major cities, addressing a joint session of the Missouri legislature, and hunting buffalo with General Philip Sheridan and Buffalo Bill Cody on the Western Plains.  Returning east, Grand Duke Alexis fulfilled his wish to visit a public school in Boston.  Throughout his travels, he was surprised and impressed by the number of American politicians who began life in the working class.  He departed New York for Russia on February 22, 1872, after a three-month visit.