Alaska+purchase+from+Russia



=Why did we purchase Alaska from Russia and did Russia regret selling it when gold was discovered? =

(BG-SOTH, BA-SOTH, AB-OS)
 

Background:
[|Alaska was purchased]on March 30, 1867 from Russia for the price of 7.2 million. This treaty was signed by Secretary of State William Seward and Russian minister Edouard de Stoeckl. However not everyone agreed with the purchase, these people called it "Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox." They became very upset when they found out about the gold strike of 1896. (BA-SOTH)

**Why**  **is this important to U.S. History?**
From 1867 until the present day Alaska has difinitely proven itself to be an important part of the United States. One reason the Alaskan Purchase is an important part of history is because Alaska is full of resources such as oil, gas, fish, and much more. During these times when the United States is worried about some resources, Alaska is there to provide for us. I think that the Alaskan Purchase was a very important part of U.S. history and more people are starting to realize that now, including Russia. (AB-OS)

Answers:
I think that the [|purchase of Alaska] has helped the U.S in so many ways. Alaska gives us oil, gas, fish, gold and much more. I think that the U.S. purchased Alaska because of everything it had to offer. It for one expanded the U.S. and also gave us that we are constantly in need of. It also gave us gold during 1896 which in return gives us money. Most likely that Russia was very upset once they found out that. I think that when [|gold was discovered] Russia had some regret of selling Alaska.

This is important to history because Alaska is so beneficial to us because it provides natural resources for us such as oil and fish and a ton more. Without these important resources we would be lost. I think that the Russia definitely had some regrets because gold at that time was very pressious and it would have been a great money maker. However Russia never really said anything or did anything about it. There is so many things that they could have possiable done such as carry out war or try and take it over. (BA-SOTH)

 At the time Russia was in a difficult financial position and feared of losing it and not getting anything for it in the future. Russia was in a financial downfall because they were just in a war with the British and lost all their funding to the war. So basically they had no choice but to either sell Alaska, or get it taken from them with nothing in return.(BG-SOTH)

I think we made a great purchase because after we bought it we gained a lot more money and supplies than we lost, plus we gained a new alliance with a country that ended up having our back in one of the later wars.(BG-SOTH)



At the time Russia wanted to sell Alaska, not many people were interested in buying it. Russia wanted to sell Alaska because it was not easy for them to defend because they were so far away. The reason that Russia sold Alaska to the Untied States was simply because they did not want to sell it to Britain, their enemy. Russia came to the United States in 1859 asking if we were interested in buying Alaska. Because of the Civil War, no further progress on the subject was made until 1867.

The Secretary of State, William Seward, spent a lot of time trying to convince Congress that this would be a good purchase and eventually Congress ratified his treaty. On October 18, 1867 the [|United States purchased Alaska from Russia] for $7.2 million. Since the United States has purchased Alaska there has been many resources found there. The Klondike gold rush, which occurred in the late 1890s, attracted many people the come to Alaska in search of this nonrenewable resource. Another resource that has been found in Alaska is oil. Small amounts of oil were also found in Alaska during the 1890s and more oil continues to be discovered today. Other natural resources such as fish, king crab, inner and coastal forests, furs, and many other things are also very abundant in Alaska. If Russia had not sold Alaska at all they probably would have found all of these resources too. Yes, I do think that Russia regrets selling Alaska to the Untied States. The gold that has been found there would have provided them with much more wealth. In addition, all the oil that has been found in Alaska would have made Russia a country that others would want to trade with to get oil. Russia probably would have benefited in the long run if they had kept Alaska. (AB-OS)


[] [] []

<span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">