On October 18, 1867, the U.S. formally took proprietorship of Alaska. Russia sold the 586,412 square mile territory to the U.S. for $7.2 million, which was less than two cents per acre. William Henry Seward, secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson, began negotiations in March 1867. Dubbed as the “Seward’s Folly” and/or “Andrew Johnson’s Polar Bear Garden,” Americans believed the land was worthless, but, Alaska is about twice the size of Texas and became more favorable when gold was discovered there in 1899. Alaska became the 49th state of America in 1959.
By - FZ
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