In 1867, Russia decided to sell Alaska to the US for 7.2 million dollars. This is equivalent to around 129 million dollars in today’s money. But, what led up to this decision? Well, if you want to learn more, then keep on reading!
In 1853, Russian Czar Nicholas I and the Ottoman Emperor, Abuelmejied I, got into a dispute about which country would have authority over Orthodox Christians living in Ottoman territory. This eventually led to the 1853 Crimean War. Great Britain, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont supported the Ottoman Empire. The war ended in 1856, with an Ottoman Victory.
After the war, Russia got into some debt. Russia was also concerned about Alaska falling to the UK, since it was a hard-to-defend, remote colony. At the time, the UK was in charge of Canada. Canada did share a border with Alaska, but it was a British colony and Russia was hesitant to sell it to its rival. Russia did not want the UK to gain a territory in the pacific.
Russia started questioning Alaska’s value and considering selling Alaska in the 1850s, due to many reasons, including the declining fur trade and the revenue that it would make from selling Alaska.
In 1866, Russia formally offered to sell Alaska to the US. In 1867, through negotiations with the US, Alaska officially became part of the US. The main reasons the US bought Alaska was because of gold, fur (hunting) and trade relationships with China and Japan.
Even today, 158 years since the US bought Alaska, Alaska is still a US state. Today, Alaska is famous for its fishing industry, vast landscapes, northern culture and so much more.
Here are a few thoughts to think about: What if Russia never sold Alaska to the US? How would it affect us today? What if Russia sold Alaska to the UK?
