Download Seward`s Folly

Seward's Folly
By Joyce Furstenau
The definition for folly is "acting stupidly
or rashly." Many Americans called the
purchase of the Alaskan Territory in 1867
"Seward's Folly." The Secretary of State at that
time was William H. Seward. He purchased the
territory from Russia for the tidy sum of
$7,200,000. That may seem like a lot of money,
but it bought an area twice the size of Texas.
1
Seward was an expansionist. That means he
believed America should expand her holdings, especially in the west. The Civil
War had just ended. Russia was having financial problems. It was afraid it that it
could lose its North American holdings to the British. The Russian czar thought if
he offered the Alaskan territory up for sale, he could start a bidding war between
America and Great Britain, but Britain wasn't interested. The treaty was signed at 4
o'clock in the morning on March 30, 1867. For the sum of $7,200,000, which is
about 1.9¢ per acre, America became the owner of the Alaskan Territory.
2
At the time, most Americans favored the purchase, but the newspapers
published criticism of the decision. It was called a "frozen wilderness."
Newspapers said it was too far away from the United States to be regulated.
The New York World called it a "sucked orange." Editorials said it contained
nothing of value except fur-bearing animals. Horace Greeley wrote, "The country
would be not worth taking as a gift.... Unless gold were found in the country..."
The territory was called "Seward's folly," "Seward's icebox," and "Andrew
Johnson's polar bear garden" by the press. They believed the region was too far
away to be worth anything to the United States.
3
The United States Senate ratified the treaty on April 9, 1867. At that time there
were thirty-six states in the Union. The transfer ceremony took place on October
18, 1867 in Sitka. The value of the Alaska purchase turned out to be many times
greater than what the United States had paid for it. The land turned out to be rich in
resources, especially oil and natural gas. Prudhoe Bay, on the northern Alaskan
coast, is America's largest oil field.
4
Alaska became the forty-ninth state to join the Union on January 3, 1959. It is
often referred to as "America's last frontier." Alaska Day is observed statewide
each year on October 18. Alaskan schools release students early. Most businesses
5
close for the day, and parades and reenactments of the flag raising are held.
Seward's Day is also a legal holiday in Alaska. It falls on the last Monday in
March. It commemorates the signing of the Alaska Purchase treaty on March 30,
1867.
Copyright © 2014 edHelper
Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Seward's Folly
1. What does the term "folly" mean as
used in this article?
3. How much was the purchase price
for Alaska?
2. Who was William H. Seward?
The man who invented the
septic tank.
The man who became Vice
President after Lincoln.
The man who shot Abraham
Lincoln.
The man who brought about the
purchase of Alaska.
4. Which of these nicknames was also
given to Alaska?
The Alaskan Gold Rush
The Arctic Abomination
Seward's Last Stand
Johnson's Polar Bear Garden
5. On what date is Alaska Day observed 6. When did Alaska become a state?
in Alaska each year?
November 18
October 18
March 30
April 30