Why Did Russia Sell Us Alaska So Cheap? (less than two cents an acre)

American Heritage ^ | 10/18/07 | John Steele Gordon

[escapefromboston]

We bought Alaska for 7.2 million, we can’t even build a bathroom in a state park for that amount anymore.

[USMCVet]

When I was stationed in Egypt in the late 80's we had about 15 Soviet officers and their families stationed with us. We had a lot of conversations during that year ans several times they said that we should give them Alaska back, since it is Russian territory.

We Americans always laughed - but those Sovs were serious!

[Daffynition]

I know someone still waiting to cash in his deeds for their Quaker Oats Klondike Big Inch.

[C210N]

I really have no idea what happened there other than to assume that wacko dems won big. Niki Tsongas won by only 5% over Jim Ogonowski. Both are 1st time candidates; Jim's bro was pilot of a/c that hit the WTC on 9/11. Her first vote today in DC was to override Bush's health insurance veto.

[Libloather]

Ironically, there are reports that-Baker’s late-night brainstorm, those 7-by-5-inch deeds that were 35 times larger than the piece of land they represented, are bringing upwards of $40 in some antique shops.

Better hold on to yours. It maybe worth something someday...

[Wheee The People]

Russia probable could look into the future and could tell there would be a crooked GOP Senator.

[Daffynition]

Maybe ... I’m grateful that the marketing people at Quaker Oats didn’t have any sway over state department in 1868! ;-D

[xJones]

When I was stationed in Egypt in the late 80's we had about 15 Soviet officers and their families stationed with us. We had a lot of conversations during that year ans several times they said that we should give them Alaska back, since it is Russian territory.
We Americans always laughed - but those Sovs were serious!

Did you ever mention to them that their Siberia is at least as rich in mineral resources as Alaska? The only development of Siberian riches came from Stalin's convict gold-mining camps such as the infamous Kolyma, and those essentially slave-labor camps have been almost completely shut down since the late 1950s.

The Russians can't develop their own Siberia, and they aren't handicapped at all by any environmental concerns. What do they want with Alaska?

[Libloather]

Russia probable could look into the future and could tell there would be a crooked GOP Senator.

If they were that smart, they would be able to forecast the corrupt, impeached *Crintons. On the other hand, the brilliant Chicoms did see it coming - eh?

[Nowhere Man]

Back in the late 1950’s, there was an alternate history that was written for “Look Magazine” or “Colliers Magazine” (IIRC) where the South won the Civil War and remained a sovereign nation after it. As time went on, tensions between the USA and CSA eased to the point where they were allies in World Wars I and II. The consequence of the USA losing the South was that we rejected the purchase of Alaska since the US needed the money for reconstruction. Well, after the wars, we had the Cold War much like in our history but you had Soviet troops stationed in “Russian America” where in the Yukon, you had to have many Canadian, USA, and CSA troops garrisoned there to offset the Soviets. There was also talk of the CSA and USA reuniting because of the Cold War. Of course, perhaps a CSA victory in the Civil war could have unleashed “butterflies” that would change things enough to where the world might not have followed our history, but it is an interesting thought to say the least.

[Eska]

Some truth to the fact that Russia sold the trading rights / economic rights to alaska for a period of a 100 years; why the feds wanted statehood so badly in 50’s. Most Alaskans at the time were against statehood, they wanted to remain like Peurto Rico because they knew there wasn’t a strong economy that would produce enough taxes to fund state govt. Feds shipped in 30-40 thousand military people, quickly changed voting law and thru election. That’s how my 95 year old neighbor who homesteaded his place in 1942 and is a super conservative repub; tells it. Also remember during civil war, the czar sent western russian fleet into san fran harbor for a few years to help ole Lincoln out. More to everything I do think.

Ya know, none of that really matters anyway, because all Alaskans are becoming more like Americans everyday and Alaska is ethnically a part of america.

We do have lots of russkies here anyway, proximity to Siberia and economic freedom. Most are ok; they want a better life just like we do. I had several russian friends tell me some things are better here some worse. You have more opportunity but also in russia, everyone had 2 week paid vacation at govt cabin on the blk sea; they hadn’t had a vacation since coming to alaska, ha. Also they didn’t like paying 10 gran to have a baby when med care was free for everyone in russia. They use to say Russia not all bad;;; but they weren’t going back either, ha.

[MinorityRepublican]

If CSA won the Civil War, then I don't think we would had gotten involved in both World Wars. Germany would have been the dominant power in Europe and the colonies in Africa would still exist today.

However, the Soviet Union is still likely to exist since USA would never have been strong enough to challenge the Communists.

[MinorityRepublican]

If CSA won the Civil War, then I don't think we would had gotten involved in both World Wars. Germany would have been the dominant power in Europe and the colonies in Africa would still exist today.

However, the Soviet Union is still likely to exist since USA would never have been strong enough to challenge the Communists.

[MinorityRepublican]

If CSA won the Civil War, then I don't think we would had gotten involved in both World Wars. Germany would have been the dominant power in Europe and the colonies in Africa would still exist today.

However, the Soviet Union is still likely to exist since USA would never have been strong enough to challenge the Communists.

[Ciexyz]

Inspiring bit of history. Our government did something right back then. Hard to imagine such a sale occurring today.

[The_Reader_David]

Historical what-ifs are more complicated. For instance, Harry Turtledove, the novelist, who makes his living with historical what-ifs, in a CSA victory what-if, has the USA entering WW I on the Central Powers side, with the CSA on the Allied side. This is less implausible than it sounds, since the USA would have been sandwiched in between Canada, still very British, and the CSA, which would have been aligned with Britain as its major trading partner, had its war of independence succeeded.

A Central Power victory, or Germany not so desparate as to use Lenin to disrupt Russia’s war efforts, and there might not have been a Soviet Union at all. (And the Caliph might still sit on the throne of the Sultan in Constantinople so that the Muslims wouldn’t the all out of sorts these days.)

[Freelance Warrior]

Alaska wasn't considered a useless piece of tundra even at the time of sale. It was rich hunting grounds (fur and sea animals also). The price was based on possible hunting revenues. Gold hadn't been discovered yet.

The Russian government badly needed money for reforming it's military after the Crimean war. That was the reason.

[Bringbackthedraft]

“several times they said that we should give them Alaska back, since it is Russian territory.” ............. Not suprising, they wanted the whole world too. Its not like they don’t have more than they need now. I’ll give them about 25 more years and see what they will have left.

[El Gato]

Why Did Russia Sell Us Alaska So Cheap? In a nutshell: They needed the money. And they wanted to be certain the British didn't get it and make it part of Canada.

[fictionlines]

If the CSA hadda won, the USA couldna afforded Alaska and the Brits woulda got it. With the alternative cotton supplies that the Brits had fixed up in the Civil War, the CSA wouldna had the money like before, so it woulda collapsed from its internal contradictions. There’da been a second Civil War, which the USA woulda won; but it woulda probably still have had segregated armed forces in both World Wars....it might even have agreed the Treaty of Versailles and volunteered to get into WW2....on behalf of the Chinese, in 1937. So, no Pearl Harbor.
And u probably woulda got Alaska as the price for financially supporting the Brits from 1915...assuming that we didn’t pick up Hawaii in the 1870s.