By: HISTORY.com Editors

1867

U.S. purchase of Alaska ridiculed as “Seward’s Folly”

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: March 03, 2010Last Updated: January 31, 2025

U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signs a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly two cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase was ridiculed in Congress and in the press as “Seward’s Folly,” “Seward’s icebox,” and President Andrew Johnson’s “polar bear garden.”

Alaska Becomes 49th State

Alaska celebrates the long awaited grant of statehood with an enthusiastic celebration. It becomes America's forty-ninth state and, by far, the largest.

Inuit and other Indigenous peoples had inhabited Alaska for thousands of years before the czarist government of Russia established a presence there around the mid-18th century. Russia first approached the United States about selling the territory during the administration of President James Buchanan, but negotiations were stalled by the outbreak of the Civil War. After 1865, Seward, a supporter of territorial expansion, was eager to acquire the tremendous landmass of Alaska, an area roughly one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States. He had some difficulty, however, making the case for the purchase of Alaska before the Senate, which ratified the treaty on April 9, 1867.

Six months later, Alaska was formally handed over from Russia to the United States. Despite a slow start in U.S. settlement, the discovery of gold in 1898 brought a rapid influx of people to the territory, and Alaska, rich in natural resources, has contributed to American prosperity ever since.

Why the Purchase of Alaska Was Far From ‘Folly’

Though mocked by some at the time, the 1867 purchase of Alaska came to be regarded as a masterful deal.

Why the Purchase of Alaska Was Far From 'Folly'

Though mocked by some at the time, the 1867 purchase of Alaska came to be regarded as a masterful deal.

By: Jesse Greenspan

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on March 30th

King George endorses New England Restraining Act

Hoping to keep the New England colonies dependent on the British, King George III formally endorses the New England Restraining Act on March 30, 1775. The New England Restraining Act required New England colonies to trade exclusively with Great Britain as of July 1. An additional rule would come into effect on July 20, banning […]

Napoleon’s forces defeated in Paris

European forces allied against Napoleonic France march triumphantly into Paris, formally ending a decade of French domination on the Continent. Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, seized control of the French state in 1800, and in 1804 was crowned emperor. By 1807, he controlled an empire that stretched across Europe. In 1812, […]

Violence disrupts first Kansas election

In territorial Kansas’ first election, some 5,000 so-called “Border Ruffians” invade the territory from western Missouri and force the election of a pro-slavery legislature. Although the number of votes cast exceeded the number of eligible voters in the territory, Kansas Governor Andrew Reeder reluctantly approved the election to prevent further bloodshed. Trouble in territorial Kansas […]

15th Amendment adopted

Following its ratification by the requisite three-fourths of the states, the 15th Amendment, granting African American men the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution. Passed by Congress the year before, the amendment reads, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the […]

Batman debuts in comics

On March 30, 1939, Detective Comics No. 27 appears on the nation’s newsstands, introducing the world to a new superhero, the Batman. Dated May 1939, the comic book featured the caped crusader on its cover, swooping through the air on a rope, while holding a bad guy in a headlock. “Starting this issue,” the cover […]

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Henry Wallace criticizes Truman’s Cold War policies

Henry Wallace, former vice president and Progressive Party presidential candidate, lashes out at the Cold War policies of President Harry S. Truman. Wallace and his supporters were among the few Americans who actively voiced criticisms of America’s Cold War mindset during the late-1940s and 1950s. Widely admired for his intelligence and integrity, Henry Wallace had […]

Actor Robert Mitchum is released after serving time for marijuana possession

Actor Robert Mitchum is released from a Los Angeles County prison farm after spending the final week of his two-month sentence for marijuana possession there. In the fall of 1948, Mitchum, the star of classics such as Cape Fear and Night of the Hunter, was smoking a joint at a small party in the Laurel […]

Robert Michum Packing Bag

Bomb explodes outside U.S. Embassy in Saigon

A bomb explodes in a car parked in front of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, virtually destroying the building and killing 19 Vietnamese, two Americans, and one Filipino; 183 others were injured. Congress quickly appropriated $1 million to reconstruct the embassy. Although some U.S. military leaders advocated special retaliatory raids on North Vietnam, President Lyndon […]

VIETNAM-ATTACK-ANTI-AMERICANISM-US EMBASSY

Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market

On March 30, 1971, Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle’s iconic Pike Place market with a single employee. The store sells high-quality roasted coffee beans, freshly brewed hot coffee and not much else. Founders Gerald Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, 20-something coffee lovers who met at the University of San Francisco, named their […]

The Ramones play their first public gig in Manhattan

On March 30, 1974, the Ramones play their first New York City gig, launching a punk-rock revolution. Five months later, on August 16, the four young men from Forest Hills, Queens, would make their more famous “debut” on the New York music scene, at the CBGB bar—often (incorrectly) identified as their first performance. That gig […]

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

John Denver has his first #1 hit with “Sunshine On My Shoulders”

John Denver scores his first #1 song, “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” on March 30, 1974. He would go on to become one of the most popular singer-songwriters of the 1970s. “Sunshine On My Shoulders” was John Denver’s attempt to write a sad song, a big part of Denver’s broad appeal. “I was so down I […]

President Reagan shot

President Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley Jr.

Ronald Reagan Waving

President Obama announces auto industry shakeup

On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama issues an ultimatum to struggling American automakers General Motors (GM) and Chrysler: In order to receive additional bailout loans from the government, he says, the companies need to make dramatic changes in the way they run their businesses. The president also announced a set of initiatives intended to […]

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Related Articles

Horace Mann

Who Invented Public School in America?

Horace Mann championed the common school movement to give all children an equal education.

Thomas A. Edison stands next to his American Barker electric car, circa 1895.

Electric Vehicles Have Been Around Since the 19th Century: Timeline

Electric vehicles were some of the earliest automobiles ever invented—and, unlike early gas-powered cars, they didn't require a crank to start the engine.

December 17th, 1903, Kittyhawk, North Carolina: The World's first flight with Orville Wright at the controls. His brother Wilbur is running at the side of the machine.

7 Gilded Age Inventions That Changed the World

Some of the modern world's most groundbreaking technologies emerged during this 30-year period.

Ku Klux Klan on a poster that advertises the Griffith movie 'The Birth of a Nation,' 1915.

How ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Revived the Ku Klux Klan

D.W. Griffith’s controversial epic 1915 film about the Civil War and Reconstruction depicted the Ku Klux Klan as valiant saviors of a post-war South ravaged by Northern carpetbaggers and freed Black people.

See All Articles

About the author

HISTORY.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen, Christian Zapata and Cristiana Lombardo.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

Citation Information

Article title: U.S. purchase of Alaska ridiculed as “Seward’s Folly”
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-30/sewards-folly

Date Accessed: September 17, 2025
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: January 31, 2025
Original Published Date: March 03, 2010

History Every Day

Sign Up for This Day in History

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us

Flower