30 март 1867 г. - Alaska Purchase

Описание:

The US purchase of the territory of Alaska from the Russians. The Eurasian country wanted to sell the territory due to a lack of resources and its inhabitability. The US desired the land to remove Russian presence from North America. Additionally, both sides were in favor of surrounding and possibly annexing British Columbia. Russia hoped to take away power from its semi-European rival and the US was eager for any land it could get its hands on. Specifically, the US was interested in the Aleutian Islands, which stretched across the North Pacific Ocean to Asia. It was believed that these islands would make good coaling stations for trans-Pacific ships. The deal was made between US Secretary of State William H. Seward and Russian Minister to the US Eduard de Stoeckl. The US purchased all 586,412 miles of Alaskan Territory for $7.2 million (~2¢/acre). The reception to the US public was mostly supportive, but a few media outlets criticized the high price and also thought the land to be useless. The deal was nicknamed "Seward's Folly" and the territory "Seward's Icebox." The complaints quickly faded when gold was discovered in the territory in 1896.