March 30 marked 144 years since
the day when Russia sold Alaska to the United States for five cents per hectare.
The adequate agreement was signed at 4 a.m. by the Russian Ambassador to
Washington Eduard Stoeckl. The government of Alexander II sold the huge
territory of over 1.5 square kilometers for $7.2 million, gold (11 million
rubles, gold).
That
was probably one of the strangest deals in history. Many Russians were perplexed
as to why the government sold the territory which the people of the country had
been developing for 126 years. Moreover, many in the country were surprised why
the price for selling Alaska was so low.
In
America, the deal raised many eyebrows too. They found it hard to understand why
the country needed 365 million acres of frozen land. The price for that land was
too high, many Americans thought.
William
Seward, then-Secretary of State, was conducting negotiations with Russia
regarding Alaska. He also signed the sales agreement, and he received most
criticism for that. Rumor has it that the senators who approved the ratification
of the agreement, were bribed by the Russian ambassador. Indeed, historians say
that Stoeckl received $25,000 from Alexander II for his efforts.
If
bribes did happen, they were probably the bribes that contributed greatly to the
development of the country, Americans historians say. Gold was found on Alaska
several years after it was no longer a part of Russia. Oil and gas reserves
discovered there were worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
It is
worthy of note that the sale of Alaska led to long-term negative consequences
for the United States. Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos did not recognize the deal.
They were granted US citizenship only in 1924.
The
situation changed after the discovery of enormous oil reserves in 1968. Three
years later, Washington made a decision worth of Solomon. Alaskan Aborigines
received approximately 11 percent of the state territory in their property and a
share in oil-mining corporations.
Nowadays, 60 percent of Alaska's territory is owned
by the federal authorities of the United States. Twenty-eight percent is owned
by the state itself. one percent of Alaska is in private property.
Could
Russia keep Alaska - the land discovered by Vitus Jonassen Bering (Denmark) and
Aleksei Chirikov (Russia) in 1741? Historians still argue about it, although
many of them believe that Russia would lose the land sooner or later. The
Americans would start to force the Russians out from the land, scientists say.
John Adams, USA's Secretary of State in 1823, said that Russia had absolutely no
rights to have a colony in North America. His disciple William Steward, who
served as the Secretary of State during 1861-1869, developed a whole program in
1860. In accordance with the program, the USA was supposed to take the territory
of the entire continent.
Russia
was suffering from the consequences of the Crimean War during those years. The
country also feared an attack from Britain in the Far East and tried to finance
Priamurye and Primorye territories annexed in 1860.
It is
worthy of note that Britain, France and Spain were actively exploring the coast
of Alaska.
The
ceremony to hand over Alaska to the United States took place on October 18, 1867
in Novo-Arkhangelsk (nowadays - Sitka), the capital of the Russian colony in
North America.
Popular
myths about the sale of Alaska:
The
final settlement for the land has never been performed, because the ship, which
was carrying the money to Russia, sank.
Russia
can still challenge the deal in connection with a number of violations of the
contract.
Alaska
was not sold, but leased for the period of 99 years. The USSR for some reason
did not claim the territory back.
Some
believe that it was Russian Empress Ekaterina II who sold Alaska to the States.
A popular song by Russian band Lube called "Don't Fool Around, America" from
1989 has the following line: "Ekaterina, you were not right." The sale took
place during the rule of Alexander II. There were not any Russian settlements in
Alaska during Ekaterina's reign.