The Alaska Purchase was a tactical move by Russia to prevent a potential seizure of the territory by Britain. Negotiated by William Seward, the purchase was initially unpopular but became approved as the bounty of Alaska’s natural resources became evident. The purchase price was $7.2 million, and Alaska remained a US territory until it became a state in the 19th century.
The Alaska Purchase refers to the American acquisition of Alaska from Russia in 1867. For Russia, this sale was largely a tactical move that prevented a potential seizure of the territory by the British. The purchase was negotiated by US Secretary of State William Seward, who got the vast parcel of land for $7.2 million United States Dollars (USD). Despite this apparent deal, the Alaska purchase was initially unpopular with much of the US public and many of the nation’s congressmen, who dubbed the transaction “Seward’s folly.” However, as the bounty of Alaska’s natural resources became increasingly evident, public opinion of the purchase went from dissatisfaction to approval.
Negotiations of the Alaska Purchase began in 1859 when Russia initially offered the territory to the United States. Russia’s motivation for selling the territory was largely tactical. Alaska had long proven difficult and expensive to defend. Additionally, land directly southeast of the territory was held by Britain, whose relationship with Russia had become strained in the recent Crimean War. By selling Alaska to the United States, Russia would prevent a potential British seizure of the territory.
On the US side, the Alaska purchase was handled by Secretary of State William Seward, who saw the transaction as an opportunity for America to establish a presence in the North Pacific. Despite Seward’s immediate interest in the territory, however, negotiations were quickly suspended due to the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Talks between Seward and Russian Minister Eduard de Stoeckl resumed in 1867 and a sale was eventually agreed by the two men. on March 30, 1867.
While the purchase price Seward negotiated—$7.2 million, or $0.023 per acre—may have been a bargain, many in Congress opposed the deal, arguing that Alaska was inaccessible and lacking any concrete value. As a result, congressional approval of the Alaska purchase was delayed for several months while members of Congress debated the merits of the plan. Eventually, however, the sale was approved and the territory was officially transferred from Russia to the United States on October 18, 1867.
Even after the Alaska purchase occurred, it remained unpopular with many politicians, journalists, and members of the public. The transaction even earned the nickname “Seward’s Folly”. When gold was discovered in the territory in the late 19th century, however, the nation began to realize the extent of the natural bounty it had gained. Alaska remained a US territory until the 19th, when it was made a US state.
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