Today Russia is considered the largest country on planet Earth. Its area, scale and length are striking in its size. However, a few centuries ago the territory of the Russian Federation was even larger, because it included the cold northern lands of Alaska.
This part of the land in North America was first discovered for the world community back in 1732 during an expedition by Russian military surveyor M. S. Gvozdev and traveler-navigator I. Fedorov.
Now Alaska is the 49th state in the United States and at the same time the northernmost, coldest and largest in size. The climate there is predominantly arctic, which causes snowy and very cold winters and constant winds from the sea. Only a small area along the Pacific coastline has a climate suitable for human life.
Russia was able to own the newly discovered lands as its legal territory only in 1799. At the first stages of the development of new lands, the main contribution to their development was made by private entrepreneurs, philanthropists and companies. Only 67 years after the discovery, the development of Alaska was carried out by the forces and means of the Russian-American company, created by decree of Paul the First and under the leadership of G. I. Shelikhov.
In 1867, the Russian Empire sold its Arctic territories to America, and since then many people have been interested in the details and nuances of this historical course of events
Background and reasons for sale
Prerequisites for the sale of Alaska began to arise back in 1853 before the start of the Crimean War, when N. N. Muravyov-Amursky, being at that time the governor of the Eastern Siberian lands, raised the issue of resale of Alaska, citing the geopolitical situation in the Far East with the further opportunity to strengthen influence in Eastern Siberia. He addressed a letter to Nicholas I, in which he outlined in detail his thoughts about the eastern territories and the need to donate land for the sake of mutually beneficial relations with the United States.
At that time, diplomatic relations between Britain and Russia were on the verge of breakdown and were hostile. There was even a threat of a possible British invasion of the Russian Pacific coast after their attempt to land and gain a foothold in Petropavlovka-Kamchatsky. Muravyov believed that the time would come when Alaska would have to be given to the United States, since Russia would not be able to resist the enemy on its own, especially since, according to estimates, there were only up to eight hundred Russian people in overseas territories.
The government in Petrograd carefully studied the proposals of the governor general and made a positive decision. Emperor Alexander II ordered the development and destruction of Sakhalin Island in order to prevent its development by foreign companies and investors. This was supposed to be done by the above-mentioned Russian-American company
An interesting fact is that the idea of selling Alaska was promoted by the brother of the ruler of our state, Prince Konstantin, who was at that time the head of the Naval Ministry. Konstantin inspired his brother that in the event of an attack by Britain, Russia could lose not only Alaska as a territory, but also all the mineral reserves located in its depths. Since the emperor did not have a defensive fleet or army in that region, the sale was a chance to receive at least some amount rather than lose everything and, at the same time, win over the US Government.
Alexander II knew about the volume of gold reserves in the bowels of the Arctic land and about the potential possibilities for their extraction and use, however, despite a number of reforms implemented in the country, the depleted budget as a result of the lost Crimean War and the rather large external debt of the state persuaded the tsar to accept the proposal Konstantin.
Transaction agreement and land transfer
In 1866, Alexander II held a meeting at which the ministers of the economy, the maritime ministry, the ministry of finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs A. M. Gorchakov, Prince Konstantin and the Russian ambassador to Washington, E. Stekl, gathered. All those present came to the conclusion that the amount for which the sovereign’s lands could be given away should be no less than five million dollars, and in gold equivalent
A few days later, the limits and boundaries of the given territories were approved.
In March 1867, Secretary of State W. Seward, empowered by the President of America, held a series of meetings and negotiations with Steckl, at which the delegates discussed all the nuances of the transfer of Russian possessions. The price was set at $72,000,000
On March 30, 1867, documents were signed in Washington in English and French, which stipulated the conditions for the transfer of the Russian North American colonies to the jurisdiction of Washington. The area of transferred land was more than 1.5 million square kilometers. In addition to the areas, all archival and historical documents, as well as real estate, were transferred to the United States. Soon, the document was signed by Alexander II and ratified by the American Senate. Already on June 8 of the same year, an exchange of signed regulations took place.
Consequences of the Alaska transfer
In the mid-20th century, Americans found large reserves of oil and gas, as well as gold deposits. Since then, the historical fact of the cession of Alaska has been continually distorted and interpreted. Many were of the opinion and still believe that there was no act of sale, and the possessions were only given for temporary use. Another group believes that since the ship with gold for the sold resources sank, therefore, there can be no talk of any transaction, but this contradicts the facts and references from historical archives, according to which the proceeds were spent on the needs of the state.
Why did Russia sell Alaska? The geopolitical reason was outlined by Muravyov-Amursky. It was important for Russia to maintain and strengthen its positions in the Far East. Britain's ambitions for hegemony in the Pacific also caused concern. Back in 1854, the RAC, fearing an attack by the Anglo-French fleet on Novo-Arkhangelsk, entered into a fictitious agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco for the sale of all its property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars for three years, including land holdings in North America. Later, a formal agreement between the RAC and the Hudson's Bay Company was concluded on the mutual neutralization of their territorial possessions in America.
Historians call one of the reasons for the sale of Alaska the lack of finances in the treasury of the Russian Empire. A year before the sale of Alaska, Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern sent a note to Alexander II, in which he pointed out the need for strict savings, emphasizing that for the normal functioning of Russia a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles was required. in year. Even the lower limit of the transaction amount for the sale of Alaska, set by Reutern at 5 million rubles, could only cover a third of the annual loan. Also, the state annually paid subsidies to the RAC; the sale of Alaska saved Russia from these expenses.
The logistical reason for the sale of Alaska was also outlined in Muravyov-Amursky’s note. “Now,” wrote the Governor General, “with the invention and development of railroads, we must be more convinced than before that the North American States will inevitably spread throughout North America, and we must bear in mind that or later they will have to cede our North American possessions.”
Railways to the East of Russia had not yet been built and the Russian Empire was clearly inferior to the states in the speed of logistics to the North American region.
Oddly enough, one of the reasons for selling Alaska was its resources. On the one hand, there is their disadvantage - valuable sea otters were destroyed by 1840, on the other, paradoxically, their presence - oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, and the “hunting season” for Alaskan gold was beginning on the part of American prospectors. The Russian government quite rightly feared that American troops would follow the prospectors there. Russia was not ready for war.
In 1857, ten years before the sale of Alaska, Russian diplomat Eduard Stekl sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg in which he outlined a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the Mormon religious sect from the United States to Russian America. American President J. Buchanan himself hinted at this to him in a joking manner.
Joking aside, Stekl was seriously afraid of the mass migration of sectarians, since they would have to provide military resistance. The “creeping colonization” of Russian America really took place. Already in the early 1860s, British smugglers, despite the prohibitions of the colonial administration, began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of the Alexander Archipelago. Sooner or later this could lead to tension and military conflicts.
Who actually legally owns Alaska? Is it true that Russia never received money for its sale? It's time to find out about this, because today marks 150 years since Russian Alaska became American in 1867.
In honor of this event, the annual Alaska Day is celebrated in the United States on October 18. This whole long-standing story of the sale of Alaska has become overgrown with an incredible number of legends. So how did this actually happen?
How Russia acquired Alaska
On October 22, 1784, an expedition led by the Irkutsk merchant Grigory Shelikhov founded the first permanent settlement on Kodiak Island off the coast of Alaska. In 1795, colonization of mainland Alaska began. Four years later, the future capital of Russian America, Sitka, was founded. 200 Russians and 1000 Aleuts lived there.
In 1798, as a result of the merger of the companies of Grigory Shelikhov and merchants Nikolai Mylnikov and Ivan Golikov, the Russian-American Company was formed. Its shareholder and first director was Commander Nikolai Rezanov. The same one about whose love for the young daughter of the commandant of the San Francisco fortress, Conchita, the rock opera “Juno and Avos” was written. The company's shareholders were also the top officials of the state: grand dukes, heirs of noble families, famous statesmen.By decree of Paul I, the Russian-American Company received the authority to manage Alaska, represent and protect the interests of Russia. It was assigned a flag and allowed to have armed forces and ships. She had monopoly rights for a period of 20 years for fur extraction, trade, and the discovery of new lands. In 1824, Russia and Britain entered into an agreement that established the border between Russian America and Canada.
Map of the territories of Northwestern America transferred by the Russian Empire to the North American United States in 1867
Sold? Rented?
The history of the sale of Alaska is surrounded by an incredible number of myths. There is even a version that it was sold by Catherine the Great, who by that time had already completed her earthly journey for 70 years. So this fairy tale can only be explained by the popularity of the Lyube group and its song “Don’t be a fool, America,” which contains the line “Ekaterina, you were wrong!”
According to another legend, Russia did not sell Alaska at all, but leased it to America for 99 years, and then either forgot or was unable to demand it back. Perhaps some of our compatriots do not want to come to terms with this, but they will have to. Alas, Alaska was indeed sold. An agreement on the sale of Russian possessions in America with a total area of 580,107 square kilometers was concluded on March 18, 1867. It was signed in Washington by US Secretary of State William Seward and Russian envoy Baron Eduard Stekl.
The final transfer of Alaska to the United States took place on October 18 of that year. The Russian flag was ceremoniously lowered over Fort Sitka and the American flag was raised.
The instrument of ratification signed by Emperor Alexander II and housed in the United States National Archives and Records Administration. The first page contains the full title of Alexander II
Gold mine or unprofitable project
Historians also debate a lot about whether the sale of Alaska was justified. After all, this is simply a storehouse of marine resources and minerals! Geologist Vladimir Obruchev claimed that in the period before the Russian Revolution alone, the Americans mined $200 million worth of precious metal there.
However, this can only be assessed from the current perspective. And then...
Large deposits of gold had not yet been discovered, and the main income came from the extraction of furs, especially sea otter fur, which was highly valued. Unfortunately, by the time Alaska was sold, the animals were practically exterminated, and the territory began to generate losses.
The region developed very slowly; the vast snow-covered expanses could not be protected and developed in the foreseeable future. After all, the Russian population of Alaska at the best of times did not reach a thousand people.
Moreover, the fighting in the Far East during the Crimean War showed the absolute insecurity of the eastern lands of the Russian Empire and especially Alaska. Fears arose that Russia's main geopolitical adversary, Britain, would simply seize these lands.
“Creeping colonization” also took place: British smugglers began to settle on the territory of Russian America in the early 1860s. The Russian ambassador in Washington informed his homeland about the impending emigration of representatives of the Mormon religious sect from the United States to Russian America... Therefore, in order not to lose the territory in vain, it was decided to sell it. Russia simply did not have the resources to defend its overseas possessions at a time when the vast Siberia also required development.
A check for US$7.2 million presented to pay for the purchase of Alaska. The check amount is approximately equivalent to 2014 US$119 million
Where did the money go?
The most fantastic thing is the story of the disappearance of money paid to Russia for Alaska. According to the most popular version, which exists on the Internet, Russia did not receive gold from America because it sank along with the ship carrying it during a storm.
So, the territory of Alaska with an area of 1 million 519 thousand square meters. km was sold for $7.2 million in gold. The Russian Ambassador to the United States, Eduard Stekl, received a check for this amount. For the transaction, he received a reward of $25,000. He allegedly distributed 144 thousand as bribes to senators who voted for ratification of the treaty. After all, not everyone in the United States considered the purchase of Alaska a profitable business. There were many opponents of this idea. However, the story about bribes has not been officially confirmed.
The common version is that the rest of the money was sent to London by bank transfer. There, gold bars were purchased for this amount. But the most important thing is that the barque Orkney, which allegedly carried these ingots from Russia, sank on July 16, 1868 on the approach to St. Petersburg. No gold was found during the search operation.
However, this detailed and brilliant story will also have to be recognized as a legend. The State Historical Archive of the Russian Federation contains documents from which it follows that the money was placed in European banks and included in the railway construction fund. This is what they say: “In total, 12,868,724 rubles 50 kopecks were designated for transfer from the US Treasury.” Part of the funds was spent on the Russian-American company. She received 1,423,504 rubles 69 kopecks. What follows is a detailed account of where this money went: for the transportation of employees and payment of part of their salaries, for the debts of the Orthodox and Lutheran churches, part of the money was turned into customs income.
What about the rest of the money? And here’s what: “By March 1871, 10,972,238 rubles 4 kopecks were spent on the purchase of accessories for the Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazan-Kozlov and Moscow-Ryazan railways. The balance is 390,243 rubles 90 kopecks. received in cash to the State Treasury of Russia.”
So the vivid and widely circulated story about the sunken barque with gold bars is just a historical fiction. But what a great idea!
Signing of the agreement for the sale of Alaska on March 30, 1867. From left to right: Robert S. Chu, William G. Seward, William Hunter, Vladimir Bodisko, Edward Stekl, Charles Sumner, Frederick Seward.
The entire land area of Alaska is equal to approximately three territories of France. Initially it belonged to Russia. Platinum, tungsten, coal and other minerals are mined in Alaska. There are many huge oil fields there.Moreover, all this wealth is now being mined by the United States. So who gave Alaska to America and in what year? Many believe that Catherine II was the culprit of the transfer. However, this opinion is erroneous, and to understand the situation, it is necessary to delve into history.
How did Russia get Alaska?
Many believe that the Russian explorer Vitus Bering was the first to discover Alaska. The pioneer crossed the strait, which was later named after him. A little later, on October 22, 1784, merchant Grigory Shelikhov appeared on the shores of Alaska. He became the founder of the first settlement on the island. Kodiak. After 4 years, the village was badly damaged by the tsunami, and the village moved to the other side of the island, which was called Pavlovskaya Harbor.Shelikhov taught the Indians to eat potatoes and turnips, became a distributor of Orthodoxy and founded the settlement “Glory to Russia”. From the moment colonization began (in 1795), Alaska officially became Russian territory. A few years later, the capital appeared - Sitka. 200 Russians and 1 thousand aulets lived in it.
Alaska Sitka
However, Alaska was actually discovered not by Bering, but by Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. He started his journey from the mouth of the Kolyma and ended it in Anadyr. Dezhnev, naturally, shared the discovery with Peter I. However, the emperor decided to check that Asia and America were connected. Therefore, he sent the ships of Chirikov and Bering to Alaska.
In 1732, the first expedition to the new Russian territory took place. In 1741 it was examined for the first time. Of the Europeans, the first person to visit Alaska was James Cook, then the Spanish expedition was met by the Russians. In any case, it turns out that the territory was Russian from the very beginning.
Who sold Alaska to America and when?
To figure out who sold Alaska among the kings, we need to go back into history for a while. Until Shelikhov died, he managed to significantly (in the first 3 years alone - 20 times) increase his capital. At first, fur was mined in Alaska, which was highly valued not only in Russia, but also abroad.In 1799, his son-in-law, chamberlain and part-time count, founded the Russian-American Company (in the likeness of the East India Company). It also included members of the imperial family. By decree of Paul the First, the right to govern Alaska was transferred to the company. The territory even had a flag and an armed fleet.
So who gave Alaska to America - Catherine or Alexander? When gold was discovered on the territory, American prospectors flocked there. The Russian Empire was not ready for confrontation, but it did not want to give up Alaska so easily.
The idea of selling it first arose from Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, Governor-General of V. Siberia. The proposal was made in strict secret, before the start of the Crimean War. In 1853, the governor conveyed the idea in the form of a note to Emperor Nicholas the First. In the letter, the general described in detail the importance of improving relations with the United States and strengthening positions in the Far East.
Then the idea was supported by Konstantin Romanov, the emperor's brother. Alexander II approved this proposal, and an agreement between the countries was signed. Alaska was sold for only $7.5 million. Payment to Russia was sent in gold scrolls by sea. However, the ship sank near St. Petersburg.
When the question arises which king gave Alaska to America, for some reason many people are sure that it was Catherine. There is even a story that the empress did not know Russian well and entrusted the drafting of the agreement to her confidant. And he, instead of transferring Alaska to America “forever,” wrote “forever” and it turned out that forever. Other people associate this story with Catherine because of the famous song of the Lyube group. However, history refutes the empress's participation.
If we take into account the year in which Alaska was sold, then Catherine did not enter into any contracts at that time. Documents appeared only under Alexander II, which is officially confirmed by history.
In what year was Alaska given to America?
So, in what year did Alaska go to America? The official date for the transfer of territories is 1867. It was then that papers were signed between the two countries. Then the American flag began to wave in Alaska. The lands began to be considered an American colony. If we consider in what year Alaska became an American colony, then this date is 1959.Negotiations on the transfer of land began in December 1866. Then a “special meeting” was held at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Alexander II was also present at this meeting. After all issues were resolved, the agreement was signed on March 30 (according to the old calculation - the 18th) 1867. The official transfer of Russian territories took place on October 18 of the same year. The end of the deal was reached after receiving a check from the United States for $7.2 million. This happened in the summer of 1968.
Why did they give Alaska to America?
Why Alaska was given to America - all possible reasons still do not sound intelligible. There are several options. The origins of the company that ruled Alaska were merchants from two provinces. They asked the empress for an interest-free loan to use this money to develop the land. However, Catherine refused, as she was entirely occupied with what is now Crimea.Then the company received the right to a monopoly, but already under Paul I. The cession of land took place in secret from the Russian-American company. The approval of the government after the letter from the emperor's brother was already considered a regular formality. It is interesting that this paper with the proposal to cede Alaska was written 10 years before the fact.
When Russia gave Alaska to America, it was simply a cession of territory for one century. Russia never received money for the sale, nor did it receive dividends for the use of the territories. It turns out that the Americans simply took away Alaska in a cunning way. Moreover, they took advantage of the time when the Russian Empire had many problems, and it was not ready to defend distant lands with war.
It is interesting that the Russian side does not have any purchase and sale documents. The reason was a strange clause (when transferring lands to America) that the entire archive (concerning the disputed territories) should also go into its use. What arguments did the emperor’s brother put forward for the empire to get rid of these lands:
1. Konstantin Nikolaevich was a member of the geographical society. He began to argue that Alaska is located too far from Russian territories. However, Chukotka, Kamchatka and Sakhalin are not closer, but it was Russian America that was chosen.
2. The second argument was that the company that owns Alaska is suffering from unprofitable land. There is supposedly no profit from them. However, there is documentary evidence that there were still incomes (although not fabulous).
3. The third argument is an empty treasury. This was true. However, the $7.2 million for which Alaska was ceded could not fill the empty niche. At that time, 500 million rubles were required to fill the budget. The amount of 7.2 million dollars was approximately equal to only 10 Russian million. In addition, the empire also owed 1.5 billion. Then it is completely unclear why they would conclude such an unprofitable deal with America.
4. A fairly compelling argument could be considered starting a war that the empire could not cope with in order to retain the lands of Alaska. However, in 1854 the war was waged in several directions at once - in the Crimea, in the Far East, in the Baltic. The Empire successfully repelled the British and French squadrons in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In 1863, the American Civil War and international conflict were completely ended.
The idea that originated with Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, Governor-General of V. Siberia, led to the writing of a letter to the emperor. In the message, the result of the reasoning sounded in the form of a proposal to cede overseas possessions to America. The general was sure that this issue would arise sooner or later.
If the Russian Empire does not agree to such a compromise, then the lands will still be taken away, since it will not be able to protect them. It turns out that if you close the deal now, you can even make money on it.
At that time, approximately 800 Russians, 1900 Creoles and almost 5 thousand Aleuts actually lived in Alaska. 40 thousand Indians also settled in the territories. However, they did not recognize Russian power. For an area of 1.5 million km², Russians were indeed in a large minority.
After such calculations, the St. Petersburg authorities treated Muravyov’s letter very loyally. The general's proposals began to be carefully studied and calculated. The empty treasury also spurred a positive decision.
Perhaps the Russian Empire hoped that after the cession of the territory of Alaska, relations between the countries would improve. This argument would be the most naive. At that time, Russia did not have a common border with the Americans, and even if we concluded a purchase and sale transaction, it would be much more profitable with the British. True, after the territories passed to the United States, almost friendly relations were established for some time. However, as history has shown - not for long.
The ceded territories included not only the entire peninsula, but also 10 miles of coastline in southern Alaska along the coast of British Columbia. Many islands were included in the treaty (Aleutian, Bering Sea and many others).
At the same time, all archives and property located on the former Russian territory, as well as documents of historical and legal value, were transferred to America.
1863 The capital of Russian America is Novo-Arkhangelsk, now the city of Sitka in Alaska.
Merchants' initiative - RAC
Catherine I, the widow of Peter the Great, hardly even heard of the existence of such a land during the two years of her reign. Russian explorers and industrialists had not yet reached there yet. And during the reign of the second Catherine, the development of Alaska by the Russians began.
Then Russia acquired Alaska thanks to a private merchant initiative. The first Russian settlements in North America were founded by merchant Grigory Shelikhov on Kodiak Island in 1784 to extract and purchase furs from local residents. Novoarkhangelsk became the center.
In July 1799, by decree of Paul I, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was created to develop Russian lands in America. The company organized 25 expeditions, 15 of which were around the world. The activities of the RAC today are assessed differently. On the one hand, the company conducted a predatory fur trade, on the other hand, it actually developed the territory, introduced arable farming, cattle breeding, and gardening. But already from the beginning of the 19th century, the activities of the RAC were complicated by the struggle for furs with American and English competitors, who armed the Indians to attack the Russians. The sale of Alaska took place under the great-grandson of Catherine II, Alexander II, on March 30, 1867. For some reason, this deal is considered extremely unprofitable for Russia.
Most of all, of course, they regret the lost gold and oil (though it was discovered only in the middle of the 20th century). Indeed, almost thirty years after the sale, by the mid-1990s, large-scale gold mining began in Alaska. Few people in their youth did not read Jack London’s brilliant prose about that era of the northern “gold rush”. But at the same time, the same London emphasized that after 10 years, gold mining had practically disappeared. It didn't last long. The gold miners' happiness turned out to be deceptive. Lucky were mainly those few who managed to stake out their plots on time and managed to sell their mines just as quickly. So what is still unknown - was more gold obtained from the bowels of Alaska or spent on its development?
Ross Fortress in 1828 It must be said that for Russia, Alaska quickly ceased to be profitable. The period when Russian America brought serious dividends to shareholders did not last too long. The economic situation of the territory was fragile and deteriorating. The fur trade continued to be the economic base of the colony, but the sea otters with their precious fur were almost completely killed. The number of seals, however, was still in the millions, but their skins were not highly valued at that time, and minks, foxes and beavers had to be bought from Indians who hunted on land.
The vast territory was practically undeveloped. Very rare settlements, trading posts, and hunting bases were located only along the coast and at several points along the Yukon. Penetration into the continent, in order to avoid clashes with the Indians, was prohibited for the colonists.
English and American traders supplied the Indians with weapons and incited them to rebel. In a part of Alaska remote from the coast, on the Upper Yukon, having penetrated from Canada, the British established a trading post in 1847. And the Russians were forced to put up with this invasion. The coastal waters of Alaska were teeming with whaling ships from various powers. And the colony could not cope with them either.
International law recognized as its property only a strip of water “at a distance of a cannon shot from the shore.”
And the whalers behaved like bandits, depriving the Alaskan Eskimos of their main means of livelihood. Complaints to Washington - “quiet your filibusters” - did not achieve their goal. In order to somehow stay on its feet, RAC was forced to sell coal, fish and Alaskan ice (the buyer was San Francisco; refrigerators were not yet produced at that time). The company's ends meet no longer meet. State subsidies were needed to maintain the territory. Which was extremely difficult for the treasury.
In addition, the territorial distance makes it incredibly difficult to defend unprofitable overseas territory in the event of war. And the idea of selling Alaska arose at court.
Signing of the treaty for the sale of Alaska on March 30, 1867. From left to right: Robert S. Chu, William G. Seward, William Hunter, Vladimir Bodisko, Eduard Stekl, Charles Sumner, Frederick Seward Dangerous neighbors
The first time they tried to sell Alaska to the Americans fictitiously, retroactively, out of fear that in the outbreak of the Crimean War, the British, who had a powerful fleet, would tear away the distant, unprotected colony. The fictitious sale did not take place. But Washington became interested in the idea.
The United States was energetically, as Grand Duke Constantine put it in a note to Alexander II, rounding out its territory. Napoleon, when he was bogged down in European military affairs, was offered to sell Louisiana. He immediately understood: “if you don’t sell it, they’ll take it for nothing” - and agreed, receiving 15 million dollars for the vast territory (twelve current central states). In the same way, Mexico (after Texas was taken from it by force) ceded California for $15 million.
The USA was intoxicated by the continuous expansion of territory. “America is for the Americans” - this was the meaning of the proclaimed Monroe Doctrine. Publications and speeches contained thoughts about the “predestination” of owning the entire continent in the northern part of America.
It was obvious that further “rounding” would inevitably affect the Russian colony. There was no visible threat to Alaska at that time. Relations between Russia and the United States at this time were emphatically friendly. During the Crimean War, the United States openly stated this. But there remained a potential threat.
Alexander II understood everything, but hesitated - it was difficult to part with the territory discovered by the Russians, which was revered as the “tsar’s pride.” Finally the emperor made up his mind. But one problem remained. And as paradoxical as it sounds, the problem was to persuade American statesmen to make a deal. The Russian envoy Eduard Stekl, who arrived in Washington, was supposed to turn things around so that the initiative for the purchase would come from the United States. The Russian emperor agreed to sell Alaska for no less than $5 million. As a result, they agreed on 7 million 200 thousand dollars (that is, 5 cents per hectare). On March 30, 1867, the treaty for the sale of Alaska was signed.
A check for US$7.2 million presented to pay for the purchase of Alaska. The check amount is approximately equivalent to 2017 US$123.5 million Ice box
The US Senate reacted to the ratification of the treaty without enthusiasm: “we’re paying money for an ice chest.” Then it took a long time to figure out who the Russians were giving bribes to?
And I really had to give them. Newspaper editors received their bribes for relevant articles, and politicians received their bribes for inspired speeches in Congress. St. Petersburg “on matters known to the emperor” spent over one hundred thousand dollars (serious money at that time). The original version was put forward by American researcher Ralph Epperson, arguing that US Secretary of State William Seward (one of the main participants in the deal) simply paid the Russian Tsar for help against England’s likely intervention in the civil war on the side of the southerners.
We are talking about the appearance of Russian warships off the coast of North America at the end of the summer of 1863. Two military squadrons - the Atlantic under the command of Rear Admiral Lesovsky and the Pacific under the command of Admiral Popov - completely unexpectedly for England and France, entered the ports of New York and San Francisco. Russian warships sailed off the coast of the United States for almost a year. And the expenses to the Russian treasury cost almost 7.2 million dollars (exactly the amount for which the deal was concluded).
Transfer of Alaska and raising of the flag The version is, of course, original, but controversial. One of Seward’s speeches a few years before the deal has been preserved: “Standing here (in Minnesota - A.P.) and turning my gaze to the North-West, I see a Russian who is preoccupied with the construction of harbors, settlements and fortifications at the tip of this continent, as outposts Petersburg, and I can say: "Go ahead and build your outposts along the entire coast, even to the Arctic Ocean - they will nevertheless become outposts of my own country - monuments of the civilization of the United States in the Northwest." No comments needed. As a result, the States were satisfied, although they had not yet appreciated the enormous “add-on” to their territory. Russia's enemies gloated - the sale of Alaska was an admission of weakness. The official transfer of the colony to the Americans took place on October 18, 1867. The square in front of the residence of the Russian governor in Novoarkhangelsk was filled with colonists, Russian and American soldiers. The Russian flag was lowered from the mast and the American flag was raised. In total, there were 823 people in the Russian colony at that moment. 90 of them wished to stay. The capital of the Russian colony, Novoarkhangelsk, was renamed Sitka. Twenty families remained to live here... At first, the former Russian territory had the status of a district, then - a territory. It was only in 1959 that Alaska became a separate US state.
Then it became clear that the real wealth of this region is not furs or gold, but oil. Alaska's oil reserves are estimated to range from 4.7 to 16 billion barrels. But Russian Emperor Alexander II could not have known about this (and it is unlikely that this would have solved anything)...