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This place has also been more familiarly called "Seward's Icebox" and "Seward's Folly." On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward agreed to purchase Alaska for $7 million. Critics attacked him for the secrecy surrounding the deal with Russia, which came to be known as "Seward's folly." They mocked his willingness to spend so much on "Seward's icebox" or President Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden." |
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Under the aegis of explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering, Russia established a presence in Alaska in the early 18th century. Russia initially approached the United States about selling the territory during President James Buchanan's administration, but the Civil War stalled negotiations. Seward, secretary of state under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, supported American expansion and was eager to acquire Alaska. However, convincing the Senate that Alaska was an important addition to the United States proved difficult. The Senate ratified the treaty by just one vote in 1867; the territory was purchased for $7.2 million -- or less than 2 cents per acre! The discovery of gold in the late 1890s increased Alaska's value as a U.S. possession and boosted its population. In 1912 the region was granted territorial status. The political situation stagnated until Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands of Agattu, Attu and Kiska during World War II. U.S. response to the threat included construction of the Alcan Highway and an increased military presence in the region. Alaskans approved statehood in 1946 and adopted a state constitution
in 1955. On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower announced Alaska's entrance
into the Union as the 49th state.
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