Purchase of Alaska

S2E145 - Purchase of Alaska

Published: May 1, 2026

Duration: 13:36

In 1867, the United States - led by Secretary of State William Seward - agreed to purchase the territory of Alaska from the Russian government - for $7.2m. Many people mocked the purchase - saying the land was useless. They called it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox". Little did they understand what had been acquired. This is the story of one of the best buys ever made by the United States government - the purchase of Alaska.


Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Purchase

https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures...