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America purchases Alaska from Russia...
America purchases Alaska from Russia...
Item # 706620
March 31, 1867
NEW YORK TIMES, March 31, 1867
* Alaska purchase - Seward's Folly
* William H. Seward - Russia
Page 4 contains a very historic, yet somewhat inconspicuous, report headed: "A Large Territorial Acquisition" beginning: "It is announced that, by treaty with Russia, our government has acquired possession of the large Arctic domain known as Russian America...Its value, however, as a national acquisition is not likely to be measured by any theory of territorial expansion..." with much more.
Eight pages, nice condition.
background: The Alaska Purchase of 1867 was the acquisition of Alaska by the United States from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million, negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and Russian envoy Eduard de Stoeckl. At the time, many Americans criticized the deal, calling it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox," believing that the land was barren and of little value. Russia, facing financial strain and worried about losing Alaska in a potential conflict with Britain, was eager to sell. The purchase added about 586,412 square miles to the U.S., and while initially seen as a questionable investment, it later proved invaluable with the discovery of vast natural resources, including gold, oil, and minerals, shaping Alaska into a key strategic and economic asset for the United States.
Category: Post-Civil War
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