Draft for Payment for the Purchase of Alaska
8/1/1868
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In 1866 the Russian government offered to sell the territory of Alaska to the United States. Secretary of State William H. Seward, enthusiastic about the prospect of American expansion, negotiated the deal for the Americans. Eduard de Stoekl, Russian Minister to the United States, negotiated for the Russians.
On March 30, 1867, the two parties agrees that the United States would pay Russia $7.2 million for the territory of Alaska. For less than 2 cents an acre, the United States acquired nearly 600,000 square miles.
Opponents of the Alaska Purchase persisted in calling it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox" until 1896, when the great Klondike Gold Rush convinced even the harshest critics that Alaska was a valuable addition to the United States.
On March 30, 1867, the two parties agrees that the United States would pay Russia $7.2 million for the territory of Alaska. For less than 2 cents an acre, the United States acquired nearly 600,000 square miles.
Opponents of the Alaska Purchase persisted in calling it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox" until 1896, when the great Klondike Gold Rush convinced even the harshest critics that Alaska was a valuable addition to the United States.
Transcript
The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, do hereby acknowledge to have received at the Treasury Department in Washington Seven Million Twohundred thousand dollars (:$.7.200.000:) in even, being the full amount due from the United States to Russia in consideration of the cession, by the latter Power to the former, of certain teritory described in the Treaty entered into by the Emperor of all the Russians and the President of the United States on the 30th day of March 1867.—Washington, August 1st. 1868.
Stoeckl.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury.
National Archives Identifier: 301666
Full Citation: Draft for Payment for the Purchase of Alaska; 8/1/1868; Warrants, 3/1801 - 12/1921; Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, Record Group 217; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/draft-payment-alaska, December 12, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.