The Expansion of the United States: Key Events and the Alaska Purchase

throughout its history the United States has undergone a remarkable amount of territorial expansion transforming from

a small group of 13 colonies into a vast Nation spanning from coast to coast the first significant expansion of the

United States occurred with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which doubled the size of the country overnight then

in the 1840s the Mexican-American war led to the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of California Arizona New

Mexico and parts of Colorado Utah and Nevada by the mid-19th century the United

States had also acquired Florida Alaska and The Oregon Territory and the Gadsden purchase of 1853 added additional

territory in the southwest following the Civil War the United States experienced rapid growth and expansion as settlers

moved Westward to claim land and build new communities by 1890 the United States had officially closed the Western

frontier and had achieved its current size and shape although new territories would be acquired in the years to come

including Puerto Rico Juan and the Philippines in the aftermath of the Spanish-American war in this video we'll

take a closer look at the timeline of the United States expansion and explore the key events of the Alaska Purchase

in 1732 the Russian merchants and fur Trappers arrived in Alaska the russian-american company received a

charter to hunt for fur in 1799 but no colony was established the Russian Orthodox Church sent missionaries to the

natives and built churches around 700 Russians enforced sovereignty over a territory that was over twice as large

as Texas in 1821 SAR Alexander I issued an edict claiming Russia's sovereignty over the North American Pacific Coast

north of the 51st parallel North the edict forbade foreign ships to come within 100 miles of the Russian claim

which U.S Secretary of State John Quincy Adams protested to maintain favorable relations with the U.S Alexander agreed

to the russo-american Treaty of 1824 where Russia agreed to limit its claims to lands north of parallel 54 deg 40

North and to open Russian ports to U.S ships by the 1850s the once abundant

population of sea otters which were highly prized for their fur had dwindled to the point of near Extinction in

Alaska this was a significant blow to the russian-american company which relied

heavily on the otter trade as its primary source of Revenue as the otter population declined Russia

began to see the value of Alaska diminish and sought to divest itself of the territory from 1853 to 1856 the

Crimean War was a military conflict fought between Russia and an alliance of Britain France and the Ottoman Empire

the war was primarily fought over the control of territories in the Balkans but also had wider geopolitical

implications related to the balance of power in Europe the war saw several major battles

including the siege of sevestopol and ultimately ended in a victory for the allies

the Treaty of Paris signed in 1856 ended the war and resulted in Russia losing territory meaning restricted in terms of

its Naval presence in the Black Sea and having to pay reparations to the Allies the conflict left Russia in a financial

crisis and the sale of Alaska was considered as a possible solution to alleviate the situation

in the 19th century Russia's greatest rival in the Pacific was Great Britain the British colony of British Columbia

had a strategic Naval Base at esquimal and Russia saw an opportunity to weaken British power in North America by

selling Alaska to the United States the sale would lead to the surrounding or annexation of British Columbia by the

United States Additionally the United States had been expanding Westward and had a growing

interest in the Pacific Northwest in 1857 Emperor Alexander Tai offered to sell the territory to the United States

hoping that it would help diminish the British ambition in the region however no deal was reached as the risk

of an American Civil War was a more pressing concern in Washington thank you

the negotiations between the United States and Russia over the Alaska Purchase began in 1859 but they were

interrupted by the American Civil War in 1867 Secretary of State William Seward resumed negotiations with

Russia's and void to the United States Edward de stokal the two sides quickly reached an

agreement on a purchase price of 7.2 million dollars or about 2 cents per acre

after the agreement was reached the U.S Senate approved the purchase by a vote of 37-2 and President Andrew Johnson

signed the treaty on April 9 1867 as part of the treaty the U.S government also agreed to assume responsibility for

paying off a three million debt that Russia owed to the United States this debt had been incurred during the

Crimean War when Russia had borrowed money from the United States to finance its military operations the U.S

government then took possession of Alaska on October 18 1867 and a ceremony in sikka the former capital of Russian

Alaska the Alaska Purchase was initially met with skepticism and criticism many

Americans felt that the purchase was a waste of money and that Alaska was a frozen Wasteland with little economic or

strategic value some even called it Seward's folly or Seward's icebox after Secretary of State William Seward who

had spearheaded the negotiations after the transfer of Alaska to the United States most Russian citizens left

Sica and returned to Russia due to the poor living conditions and Rowdy troops American settlers who believed in The

Riches of Alaska rushed to the territory but found that much Capital was required to exploit its resources resulting in a

decline in population however the seal fishery provided considerable Revenue to the U.S some years later yielding 100

000 skins a year and earning English laborers 12 million dollars by 1890. exclusive U.S control of the seal

fishery was challenged leading to the Bering Sea controversy with the Britain Empire the conflict was resolved by an

arbitration tribunal in 1893 deeming the Bering Sea to be international waters and requiring both Nations to follow

regulations developed to preserve the resource in 1896 gold was discovered in a

tributary of the Klondike River in Canada's Yukon territory which quickly led to a rush of people from around the

world to the area leading to the Klondike Gold Rush the Gold Rush had a significant impact

on Alaska as the quickest way to reach the gold Fields was by boat through the ports of Alaska resulting in a surge in

population and Commerce in the territory the Gold Rush also spurred the development of new mining Technologies

and techniques and many of the people who arrived in Alaska during this time stayed to settle and establish

businesses contributing to the growth of the territory the Alaska Purchase had significant consequences for both Russia

and the United States for Russia the sale was a major blow to its aspirations of expanding its power and influence in

North America it also contributed to its loss in the russo-japanese war a few years later and

the eventual downfall of the Russian Empire which was struggling with economic and political issues

for the United States despite the initial criticism Alaska eventually proved to be a valuable addition to the

United States the sale helped the United States to expand its territory and secure access to valuable resources

including gold Timber fish and minerals that helped fuel the country's economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th

centuries Alaska also played a key role in World War II as a strategic location for military bases and as a source of

Natural Resources for the war effort it strengthened America's position as a global power and contributed to its

eventual emergence as a superpower today Alaska is the largest state in the United States and its natural beauty and

abundant resources continued to attract visitors and businesses alike as a strategic location as a gateway to the

Pacific