One Sweet Deal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Folly

There were some people who believed the purchase of Alaska would bring great economic benefit to the United States, as well as a potentially new friend. There were others who hoped that purchasing Alaska would lead to the annexation of nearby British Columbia. Many, however, believed that it was an expensive price to pay for a territory that really had no apparent immediate benefit.

Please Note: There was only one name for the actual purchase of Alaska, but there were several derogatory names for Alaska itself. These included: Seward's Icebox, Polaria, Icebergia, Walrussia, and Johnson's Polar Bear Garden.

Answer: Secretary of State

Many believed that Seward would be the Republican party's nomination for president in 1860; instead Seward was Secretary of State for both Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was an important, invaluable, loyal member of Lincoln's wartime Cabinet, and survived an attempt on his own life that was part of the plot to assassinate President Lincoln.

Answer: The U.S. was involved in events leading up to and including the Civil War.

At one meting the U.S. representative of President Buchanan mentioned a price of up to $5m. This was far too low for Russia. William Seward became Secretary of State under President Lincoln after the election of 1860. He and Lincoln became fast friends and are said to have conferenced daily. Seward began negotiating the sale of Alaska during Lincoln's administration, but there were too many other issues that required attention.

Answer: Russia

Russia needed money! Along with having been involved in a very costly war with Britain, money was needed to replay the loan (15 million pounds sterling) from Rothschilds to reimburse landowners after the serfs were emancipated in 1861. Russia offered to sell the territory to both the United States and Britain, but there was no bidding war to drive the price up, as Britain just wasn't interested.

Answer: Crimean War

The war was largely fought on the Crimean Peninsula. However, there were smaller skirmishes elsewhere. The sale was not only based on the fact that Russia needed money; it was also aimed to protect Russia from future hostility with Britain. There was concern that having a territory so close to Britain's settlement in British Columbia might make the area a prime target for future wars.

Answer: Texas

At the time of purchase, Americans were concerned by the fact that the United States already held territories which were virtually unpopulated by Americans. How on earth could there be enough people to populate Alaska as well? In addition, how could the United States afford to govern and protect the area? Many believed that even if the United States was given the territory as a gift, it wouldn't be worth taking.

Answer: October

Another complaint the American people had about the purchase of Alaska was that they were alarmed by the fact that the treaty was signed at 4 a.m. after a night of negotiating; they believed there had to be a sinister motive behind something done at that time of the day.

The treaty was signed on March 30, 1867 and the formal transfer took place on October 18 that year. Interestingly, the date on the Russian calendar was October 7, due to the fact that they were still using the (inaccurate) Julian calendar. Alaska Day is celebrated annually, and it is a holiday for all state workers.

Answer: New Archangel

At the time of the sale of Alaska, it was estimated that New Archangel had a population of about 2,500 Russians and those of mixed race, and about 8,000 native people that were under the control of the Russian fur company. In addition there were about 50,000 native Americans who lived outside the jurisdiction of the Russians.

There were twenty-three trading posts on islands and strategic coastal locations. Some of the stations were manned by only four or five Russians. New Archangel had been established in 1804 to handle the trade of sea otter skins.

In 1867 it contained 116 small log cabins and 968 residents. Many of the Russian who lived there decided to return to Russia after the transfer of ownership. The other large town was St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands.

Answer: Two Cents

There have been several sweet land deals in U.S. history. The first one that comes to mind, of course, is the purchase of Manhattan Island by Peter Minuit for $24 of trinkets and beads in 1626. When Napoleon sold the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the size of the U.S. was doubled, and the cost per acre was three cents.

Answer: gold

The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 finally helped Americans see that Alaska was a valuable addition to American territory. Alaska became an organized territory in 1912, and achieved statehood during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower on January 3, 1959. Today the oil and gas industries dominate Alaska's economy, and seafood is another important export.