American Expansion: Seward's Purchase of Alaska (1867)
by Anonymous
Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Critics called it 'Seward's Folly' and 'Seward's Icebox.' The territory later yielded gold, oil, and strategic military value worth trillions.
Buy Alaska
1867
year
$7.2 million (2 cents per acre)
price
Mocked as 'Seward's Folly'
public opinion
Chosen — gold rush 1896, oil 1968, strategic value immense
outcome
Decline the Offer
1867
year
N/A
price
Popular — seemed like a waste
public opinion
Not chosen — Seward pushed it through
outcome
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