In 1867, the Russians sold Alaska to the US for the ridiculous sum of 7.2 million dollars. Today, Alaska is one of the richest US states. How did this deal, which went down in history as the worst for Russia, come about?
Alaska is preparing for the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which is scheduled to take place on August 15.
The location was not chosen by chance - the largest American state by area is not only geographically connected to both the United States and Russia, but also historically.
The worst deal in history
As early as 1729, the Danish navigator Vitus Bering tried to reach Alaska with a ship from Kamchatka at the behest of the Russian Tsar Peter I. Over the following decades, the Russians managed to establish control over the territory, naming it Russian America. Until the 19th century, when the Russians decided to sell Alaska to the United States - a deal they probably regret to this day.
Although the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, the ties to Russian history and culture are still visible today. There are still Russian-speaking communities there, Russian Orthodox churches with their characteristic architecture, and even restaurants and shops that offer pelmeni and other typical Russian products. However, the war in Ukraine has strained relations between Moscow and the authorities in the northern American state.
On the hunt for valuable furs
Russian conquerors landed on Kodiak Island in 1783. They subjected the locals to murder, persecution and subjugation and founded the first permanent settlements. A lively fur trade began.
The British and Americans also sent their fur trappers to Alaska, but they tried to avoid conflicts with Russia by concluding trade treaties with the Russians.
In the early 19th century, the Russians, Americans, and British officially defined the borders of Alaska. It was assumed that this vast territory belonged entirely to Russia. But it began to lose its value. The sea otters that supplied the valuable furs were almost extinct. At the same time, the journey there was disastrous. It sometimes took the Russians months to get from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the remote territory.
A deal for 7.2 million dollars
In 1867, the Russian Tsar Alexander II decided to turn his back on Russian America. In addition to seeing no benefits from this remote and icy territory, he also needed the money - after the Crimean War, the treasury was empty. Both the British and the Americans were interested. At that time, the British Empire was the biggest opponent of the Russian Empire, and relations with the United States were rather good. In addition, London controlled the Canadian territories, which is why it was definitely not part of St. Petersburg's plans to give the crown even greater control over North America.
However, there was a problem - few in the United States believed that they needed this "polar bear garden", as Alaska was called in the press. Especially in the mid-1860s, when Washington was trying to deal with the consequences of the civil war that had just ended. Therefore, the Russian ambassador to the United States had to act. Edward de Stockel began a large-scale campaign aimed at convincing American politicians to support the purchase of Alaska, with Stockel even bribing politicians to work in his favor. Articles by convinced supporters of the deal began to appear in American newspapers. And finally, she succeeded: US Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Ambassador Stoeckl reached the deal of the century. The purchase price was $7.2 million.
One of the richest American states
In October 1867, the Russians solemnly handed over Alaska to the United States. Just 50 years later, the Americans had already extracted seventy times more than the purchase price, notes the German public broadcaster WDR. First, there was the yellow gold, which is found there in large quantities, and later the black gold - oil - was discovered.
To this day, the sale of Alaska is considered one of the worst deals in history, from which Russia lost enormously. For the United States, however, it was extremely profitable: Alaska is rich in minerals, and the seas and rivers are rich in fish. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th U.S. state, and today it is among the five richest states in the United States.