Alaska Purchase

The Alaska Purchase was a treaty signed on March 30, 1867, in which the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million, equivalent to $129 million in 2023. The purchase added 586,412 square miles to the United States, making it the largest land acquisition in the country's history. The sale was initially met with skepticism, with some Americans labeling it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox," but it ultimately proved to be a strategic move that gave the United States access to new resources and territory. The Alaska Purchase had significant implications for the region, which remained sparsely populated until the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896.learn more on wikipedia