Elijah Grant
The Alaska Purchase of 1867 was the acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire by the United States for $7.2 million (equivalent to $113 million in 2023). While the sale was a result of Russia's desire to sell its Alaskan possessions, which would be difficult to defend in any future war with the United Kingdom, some believe that Russia was unlawfully deprived of Alaska and that it was leased to the U.S. for 99 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of purchase | March 30, 1867 |
| Purchase price | $7.2 million ($129 million in 2023) |
| Area purchased | 586,412 sq mi (1,518,800 km2) |
| Previous owner | Russian Empire |
| Natural resources | Whale oil, fur, copper, gold, timber, fish, platinum, zinc, lead, petroleum |
| Previous inhabitants | 100,000 Inuit, Athabascan, Yupik, Unangan, Tlingit, and Russians |
| Previous lease price | $0.02 per acre ($0.36 per acre in 2023) |
| Lease duration | 99 years (according to some historians and amateurs) |
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What You'll Learn
The US purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867
The US had long been interested in acquiring Alaska, and Russia had first offered to sell the territory in 1859. However, the impending US Civil War delayed the sale. Following the Union victory in 1865, Tsar Alexander II instructed Russian envoy Baron Edouard de Stoeckl to re-enter negotiations with US Secretary of State William H. Seward. Stoeckl and Seward had a mutual interest in the sale, and on March 30, 1867, they signed the Treaty of Cession, with President Andrew Johnson signing the treaty on May 28. Alaska was formally transferred to the United States on October 18, 1867.
The purchase price of $7.2 million amounted to about two cents per acre, or $113 million in today's money. Reactions to the purchase among Americans were mixed. Many believed that Alaska would serve as a base to expand American trade in Asia. However, some opponents labelled the purchase as ""Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox", arguing that the United States had acquired useless land.
The purchase ended Russia's presence in North America and ensured US access to the Pacific northern rim. Alaska remained under US Army control until 1877 and was then governed by various military and civil authorities until it became a state in 1959. The acquisition of Alaska has proven to be incredibly valuable to the US, with the state's natural resources generating hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue.
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![Purchase of Alaska. Speech of Hon. Leonard Myers, in the House of Representatives, July 1, 1868 1868 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61IX47b4r9L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Russia's expansion across the Bering Sea
Russia's expansion across the Bering Strait dates back to the 16th century when the country was a fraction of its current size. In 1581, Russia overran the Siberian Khanate of Sibir, marking the beginning of its expansionist ambitions. By the early 18th century, Peter the Great, who created Russia's first navy, ordered expeditions to explore the extent of the Asian landmass to the east. This led to the Danish-born Russian explorer Vitus Bering successfully crossing the strait that now bears his name in 1741. He was the first documented modern voyager to cross from Russia to North America without a boat.
Russia's colonial presence in North America was driven by the lucrative fur trade, the desire to spread the Russian Orthodox Christian faith, and the addition of new taxpayers and resources to the empire. The Russian-American Company (RAC) received a charter to hunt for fur in 1799, and by 1804, the town of New Archangel (now Sitka) was established to handle the valuable trade in sea otter skins. About 700 Russians enforced sovereignty over a territory more than twice the size of Texas.
In 1821, Tsar Alexander I issued an edict declaring Russia's sovereignty over the North American Pacific coast north of the 51st parallel. This edict, which forbade foreign ships from approaching within 115 kilometres of the Russian claim, was strongly protested by the US Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, as it threatened American commerce and expansionary ambitions. To maintain favourable relations with the US, Alexander agreed to the Russo-American Treaty of 1824, in which Russia limited its claims to lands north of the 54°40′ parallel and opened its ports to the US.
Russia's expansion across the Bering Strait culminated in the mid-19th century, when its colonial presence extended as far south as Fort Ross, California, just 145 kilometres from San Francisco Bay. However, following the Crimean War, Tsar Alexander II faced a difficult decision. With Russia's defeat, the country's Alaskan possessions would be vulnerable to seizure by its greatest rival in the Pacific, Great Britain. Thus, in 1859, Russia offered to sell Alaska to the United States, but the impending American Civil War delayed the sale. Finally, on March 30, 1867, the Treaty of Cession was signed, and Alaska was sold to the US for $7.2 million, bringing an end to Russia's 125-year presence in the region.
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The US-Russia treaty of 1824
The US did not rent Alaska from Russia for 100 years. However, Alaska was indeed purchased by the US from Russia in 1867, ending Russia's 125-year presence in North America.
In the first half of the 19th century, Russia had established a colonial presence in parts of North America, but few Russians settled in Alaska. The Russians were drawn to Alaska by the fur trade and the 'soft gold' of sea otter skins. In 1821, Tsar Alexander I issued an edict declaring Russia's sovereignty over the North American Pacific coast north of the 51st parallel north. This edict also forbade foreign ships from approaching within 100 Italian miles (185km) of the Russian claim.
US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams strongly opposed the edict, which threatened American commerce and expansionary ambitions. Seeking to maintain good relations with the US, Tsar Alexander agreed to the Russo-American Treaty of 1824 (also known as the Russian-American Convention or the Convention of 1824). The treaty was signed in St Petersburg on 17 April 1824 and ratified by both nations on 11 January 1825, coming into effect the following day. It contained six articles.
The Russo-American Treaty of 1824 limited Russian claims to lands north of the 54°40′ north parallel. It also opened Russian ports to the US and allowed nationals of both countries to navigate freely in the Pacific Ocean, fishing and landing on unoccupied shores. A line of demarcation was established at 54°40' north latitude, north of which Americans pledged not to settle, and south of which Russians would not settle.
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The Klondike Gold Rush
The migration of prospectors had a significant impact on the local environment and the indigenous communities living in the region. Boom towns sprang up along the routes to accommodate the prospectors, and Dawson City was founded at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers. Dawson's population grew rapidly, and the city suffered from fires, high prices, and epidemics. The influx of people also caused massive soil erosion, water contamination, deforestation, and loss of native wildlife. The indigenous Hän people were forcibly relocated to make way for the newcomers, and many died as a result of the disruption to their way of life and the introduction of new diseases.
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The seal fishery
The lucrative fur seal industry in Alaska was inherited from the Russian-American Company, which had established a colonial presence in the region. The United States' acquisition of Alaska shifted the balance of power in the region, but Russian interest in the fur seal resource in the North Pacific remained. Russian officials hired American hunters to harvest seals on Russia’s Commander Islands until 1911.
The unregulated massacre of seals in the Pribilof Islands led the US government to declare the islands a reservation in 1869. Congress then decided to restrict seal hunting to one company, leasing the Pribilof Island seal fishery with a 20-year lease. The sealskin coat was highly fashionable in the 1870s and 1890s, with each coat worth $150-$200 in the 1880s. Despite the increase in the value of each pelt, company profits remained stagnant, and Unangax̂ workers’ salaries declined.
The four species of ice-associated seals that inhabit the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas of the Alaskan Arctic are bearded seals, ringed seals, spotted seals, and ribbon seals. These seals are vital resources for Alaska Native communities, providing food and supporting their traditional way of life. However, the annual subsistence harvest of harbor seals in Alaska has decreased in recent years due to conflicts with commercial fishers.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867.
The US wanted to expand its trade in Asia and gain access to the Pacific northern rim. The seal fishery was also a significant consideration, as it provided considerable revenue.
Russia wanted to sell Alaska as it believed the US would offset the designs of Russia's greatest rival in the Pacific, Great Britain.
The reaction was mostly positive, with many believing that Alaska would serve as a base for expanding American trade in Asia. However, some opponents labelled the purchase "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox", arguing that the US had acquired useless land.
While the US treated Alaska's Native population better than the Russians, the anniversary of the cession brings mixed emotions, including immense loss but also optimism.
