Purchase of Alaska

In 1867, the the United States bought with the Russia the territory of the Alaska. This purchase was made by the American Secretary of State William Seward. The bought territory was of approximately 1 600 000 km ² (600 000 miles square) constituting the current American state of Alaska.

Situation before the purchase

The Russian Empire was in financial problems and in the long term feared to lose the territory alaskan without compensation in a future conflict, especially with the rival empire of the moment, the British Empire which had already the close Canada and whose powerful Royal Navy could easily take the control of coasts difficult to defend for Russia. The Tsar Alexandre II thus decided to sell the territory in the United States and charged his ambassador, the baron Edouard de Stoeckl to open negotiations with the Secretary of State William Seward, of which it was a close relation, at the beginning of March 1867.

The negotiations were concluded after discussions which lasted one night whole and the signature of the treaty at 4 o'clock in the morning the March 30th with a purchase price of 7 200 000 US dollars (equivalent with approximately 1,67 billion dollar 2006). The American public opinion was rather unfavourable with this purchase, like summary by a historian, criticisms were many p 541

" Already, so it was said, we were burdened with territory which we had No population to wire. The Indians within the present boundaries off the republic strained our power to govern aboriginal peoples. Could it Be that we would now, with open eyes, seek to add to our difficulties by increasing the number off such peoples under our national care? Broad The purchase price was; the annual loads for administration, civil and military, would Be yet greater, and continuing. National The territory included in the proposed transfer was not contiguous to the domain. It lay away At year disadvantage and has dangerous distance. The treaty had been secretly prepared, and signed and foisted upon the country At furnace o' clock in the morning. It has dark deed gives in the night…. The New York World said that it has " sucked orange." It contained nothing off been worth goal furbearing animals, and thesis had been hunted until they were nearly extinct. Except for the Aleutian Islands and has narrow strip off Land extending along the southern coast the country would Be not worth taking ace has gift…. Unless gold were found in the country much time would elapse before it would Be blessed with Hoe printing presses, Methodist chapels and has metropolitan police force. It was " has frozen wilderness, " declared the New York Tribune.

Point of view of Washington

The purchase at the time was turned into ridiculous, regarded as " the madness of Seward " ( William H. Seward' S folly ), the " Refrigerator of Seward " ( William H. Seward' S icebox ) and " The garden with the polar bears of Andrew Johnson " ( Andrew Johnson' S whodunnit bear garden ), since one considered bold to want to spend such a sum for this moved back area.

The treaty was supported by the Secretary of State William Seward, which were a partisan of long time of the expansion, and by the president of the committee of the Senate Charles Sumner. Their arguments were that the strategic interests of the nation pushed with the signature of this treaty. Russia had been an ally of value during the American Civil War, whereas the the United Kingdom had almost openly been an enemy. It thus appeared judicious to help Russia and of " déconcerter" English. Moreover, there was the question which the adjacent territory was then a British colony (current Canada). There could thus be a strategic value for the English to acquire one day Alaska. The purchase, indicated the leader-writer of the New York Herald , was a manner for the tsar of implying in England and France which they did not have " not of activities on this continent . " " In short, it is an operation of side " on Canada influence it New York Tribune says. Soon the world would see in the North-West " a Cockney hostile framed by two Yankee S attentive, on each with dimensions " and " John Bull would be brought to understand that the only thing that it remains to be made to him is the sale of his interests to the Brother Jonathan ".

The April 9th, Sumner made an important speech to support the treaty, covering in an exhaustive way the history, the climate, the natural configuration, the population, the ressources— forests, mines, furs, pecheries— from Alaska. As a good scholar, it quoted testimonys of geographers and navigators: Alexander von Humboldt, Joseph Billings, Yuri Lisiansky, Fyodor Petrovich Litke, Otto von Kotzebue, Portlock, James Cook, Meares, Ferdinand von Wrangel. When it had finished some, it observed that it had " makes a little more than to maintain the balance of the balance. " That makes it lean of dimensioned sound, then it continued, it is " because the reason and testimonys pushing of this with dimensions were heaviest ". " Soon " , known as Sumner, " a pragmatic race of intrepid navigators go essaimer on the coast, ready with all kinds of companies, on business or by patriotism. The trade will find new arms, the country of new defenders, the national flag of new hands to carry it well high. " Granting the American republicanism to all the territory, it indicated " and you will recognize that it is better than all than you can receive, better than quintals of fish, gold sands, the best choices of furs or splendid ivories. " " Our city, " exclaimed Sumner, " can nothing be less than the continent of North America with doors on all the seas which surround it. " He argued that the treaty was " a stage visible" in this direction. By these words, we will owe " to return a monarchy moreover of the continent. One by one, they are retirés— initially France; then Spain; and France again, and maintaining Russia, all that tracing the way with this unit by absorption declared by the national currency — E pluribus unum . " 1:544 - 5

The Seward' S Day, day of celebration of the purchase of Alaska by the United States, named in the honor of William H. Seward is one day off in Alaska (last Monday of March).

Ratification

The Sénat of the United States ratified the treaty the April 9th 1867, by a vote of 37 votes for and 2 against. However the budget for the purchase was released only one year afterwards because of the opposition of the Chambre of the representatives. This room finally approved the treaty in July 1868, by a vote of 113 votes for and 48 against.

It is estimated that Alaska at this time counted 2 500 Russian or mongrel and 8 000 aboriginals, in all 10 000 inhabitants, under the direct command of the Russian company of the furs, and perhaps 50 000 Eskimo alive under this jurisdiction. Europeans lived in 23 places of settlement, located on the islands or in edge of the coasts. The small stations gathered only 4 or 5 Russian in charge with the collection and the storage of the furs brought by the Indians and the supply of the ships which came to seek them. The 2 plus big cities, New Archangel , now named Sitka, was founded in 1804 for the trade of the very profitable furs of otaries of the sea. It counted approximately 116 huts, sheltering 968 inhabitants. The second city was Saint-Paul on the island Kodiak with 100 huts and 283 people. It was the center of the industry of the fur of seal.

A name Aléoute, " Alaska" was chosen by the Americans. Ceremony of transfer take place to Sitka the October 18th 1867. Russian and American soldiers paraded in front of the house of the governor; the Russian flag was brought back and the hoisted American flag, greeted by artillery salvos. The captain Alexis Pestchouroff known as " Rousseau general, by the authority of his Majesty, the emperor of Russia, I transfer to the United States of America the territory from Alaska." In return, the general Lovell Rousseau accepted the territory. Many forts and forts, huts out of wooden were yielded to the Americans. The troops occupied the barracks and the general Jefferson C. Davis established her residence in the house of the governor. The majority of the Russians turned over to Russia, only some tradesmen and men of the church chose to remain.

The Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska of Russia to the United States, which take place on October 18th, 1867. But today, Alaska celebrates the day of acquisition, the Seward' S Day , each last Monday of March.

(*La dated October 18th, 1867, is that in the Gregorian Calendrier, per hour of 9:01: 20, Greenwich mean time, which taken effect the next day in Alaska to replace the Calendar Julien and per hour of 14:58: 40 " in avance" immediately of Greenwich. For the Russians, the transfer took place on October 7th, 1867.)

References

Ronald J Jensen. The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations (1975)
Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer; has History off the United States since the Civil War. Volume: 1. 1917.
Alaska. Speech off William H. Seward At Sitka, August 12,1869 (1869; Digitized images page & text), primary source
Marie de Testa & Antoine Gautier, the Russian diplomat Edouard de Stoeckl (Ca 1805-1892) and the transfer of Alaska in the United States, in Drogmans and diplomatic Europeans near the Othoman Door, editions ISIS, Istanbul, 2003, pp. 463-469.

External bonds

Treaty with Russia for the Purchase off Alaska and related resources At the Library off Congress
Text off Treaty with Russia (Alaska Purchase)
The Alaska Purchase (Meeting off Frontiers, Library off Congress)

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