[Libloather]

His ship was forced to take refuge on what is now called Bering Island, and there the explorer died of scurvy at the age of 60.

SELL! SELL! SELL!

[SevenofNine]

Kathy I got question Russians got screw on that deal too bad Tomkow wasn’t around wait a minute he was around he is older than dirt maybe not as old as Helen thomas LOL!

[C210N]

So, what kind of deals might there be in the future?

Perhaps the US selling California to Mexico? Or... selling New England to Canada?

... or better yet, the US paying Canada to take New England?

{still can't believe this "state" of Mass I'm living in, after Tuesday's election}

[varyouga]

Why Did Russia Sell Us Alaska So Cheap?

Cause back in the 1860s it was just useless tundra. Nobody predicted the importance of oil. Mining for gold and diamonds that far north was impractical. Also, nobody would have guessed the land would be used for missile defense.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

At the time it was known as Seward’s Folly.

[robomatik]

i've been to anchorage, fairbanks, gnome, etc. alaska is indeed the edge of the earth.

i spent 16 hours driving toward denali (mt. mckinley) after i first saw its peak. amazing.

flying over the arctic circle in a single prop; watching the polar bears try to run away was classic.

watching the whales play around in some non-descript inlet was priceless.

watching japanese tourists set up a tripod and take pictures of grizzlies barely 50 ft. away was a lesson in stupidity.

having a couple of wild horses stick their heads in my parents car (out of a herd of a couple hundred) was beautiful.

i will never forget alaska.

i hope to go back someday!

it changed my perspective on life as a child

[Publius6961]

Great post!
Interesting and a useful historical reference..
Seward's Folly... I just love that phrase. Plus the clarity with which this subject shows us that the "press" is often monumentally wrong. Not that they would ever express regret at pontificating on everything or, heaven forbid, admit that they were wrong!.

[puppypusher]

It was a Great bargain,but what good is it if the Dummycrats won’t allow us to use the natural resources we find there?

[ClearCase_guy]

It also bears mentioning that President Polk in -- I believe -- 1848, had pushed hard for the Texas territory and for the Oregon Territory. This was the era of manifest destiny, and the US claim to the Oregon Territory, while principally against Great Britain, took us right up to the border of the land controlled by Russia.

We were expanding rapidly -- the Oregon question was settled, but what would come next? Russia probably thought they had two choices: get money by selling, or lose the "worthless" territory in a war. Getting cash on the barrel head, so to speak, probably looked like the best option.

[Graybeard58]

I remember a lot of this from high school history but a lot I had forgotten too. Very interesting. Thanks for posting it.

[Paleo Conservative]

Perhaps the Czar would rather sell Alaska cheap to the US than let the British have it as part of Canada. After all Russia was humiliated by Britain and France in the Crimean war just a little over a decade previously. Alaska was too far away for the Russians to control anyway.

[Professional]

I lived in Alaska for 4 years, spent 8 winters there.

The US got hosed...

[GingisK]

I’m betting that they knew all along that they would stir up sentiment against ANWR drilling.

[escapefromboston]

We bought Alaska for 7.2 million, we can’t even build a bathroom in a state park for that amount anymore.

[USMCVet]

When I was stationed in Egypt in the late 80's we had about 15 Soviet officers and their families stationed with us. We had a lot of conversations during that year ans several times they said that we should give them Alaska back, since it is Russian territory.

We Americans always laughed - but those Sovs were serious!

[Daffynition]

I know someone still waiting to cash in his deeds for their Quaker Oats Klondike Big Inch.

[Wheee The People]

Russia probable could look into the future and could tell there would be a crooked GOP Senator.

[Nowhere Man]

Back in the late 1950’s, there was an alternate history that was written for “Look Magazine” or “Colliers Magazine” (IIRC) where the South won the Civil War and remained a sovereign nation after it. As time went on, tensions between the USA and CSA eased to the point where they were allies in World Wars I and II. The consequence of the USA losing the South was that we rejected the purchase of Alaska since the US needed the money for reconstruction. Well, after the wars, we had the Cold War much like in our history but you had Soviet troops stationed in “Russian America” where in the Yukon, you had to have many Canadian, USA, and CSA troops garrisoned there to offset the Soviets. There was also talk of the CSA and USA reuniting because of the Cold War. Of course, perhaps a CSA victory in the Civil war could have unleashed “butterflies” that would change things enough to where the world might not have followed our history, but it is an interesting thought to say the least.

[Ciexyz]

Inspiring bit of history. Our government did something right back then. Hard to imagine such a sale occurring today.

[Freelance Warrior]

Alaska wasn't considered a useless piece of tundra even at the time of sale. It was rich hunting grounds (fur and sea animals also). The price was based on possible hunting revenues. Gold hadn't been discovered yet.

The Russian government badly needed money for reforming it's military after the Crimean war. That was the reason.

[El Gato]

Why Did Russia Sell Us Alaska So Cheap? In a nutshell: They needed the money. And they wanted to be certain the British didn't get it and make it part of Canada.