"History of Alaska The history of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period (around 14,000 BC), when wanderer groups crossed the Bering land bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups. The name ""Alaska"" derives from the Aleut word ""Alaxsxaq"" (also spelled ""Alyeska""), meaning ""mainland"" (literally, ""the object toward which the action of the sea is directed""). The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. In the 1890s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and"
"54°40′ through what is now the Alaska Panhandle to the 141st meridian west, then along that line north to the Arctic Ocean. The Colony of British Columbia was established on August 2, 1858. The United States purchased Alaska from the Empire of Russia for $7,200,000 in 1867. Russian America became the United States Department of Alaska on October 18, 1867. The Province of British Columbia joined the Confederation of Canada on July 21, 1871. The United States created the District of Alaska on May 17, 1884, and the Territory of Alaska on August 24, 1912. The State of Alaska was"
"boundary dispute, to present-day Alaska. The United States Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (US$ in 2019) on April 9, 1867. Wyoming Territory was formed from portions of Dakota, Idaho, and Utah Territories, corresponding to the present-day borders of Wyoming. Idaho Territory then corresponds to present day Idaho, and Utah Territory to present-day Utah. The Mexican state of Hidalgo was split from the state of México. The Mexican state of Morelos was split from the state of México. The United Kingdom ceded most of its remaining land in North America to Canada, with Rupert's Land and"
"States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia in the Alaska Purchase, but the boundary terms were ambiguous. In 1871, British Columbia united with the new Canadian Confederation. The Canadian government requested a survey of the boundary, but the United States rejected it as too costly; the border area was very remote and sparsely settled, and without economic or strategic interest. In 1898, the national governments agreed on a compromise, but the government of British Columbia rejected it. U.S. President McKinley proposed a permanent lease to Canada of a port near Haines, but Canada rejected that compromise. In 1897–98 the Klondike"
"from Russia to the United States, which took place on October 19, 1867. The date is by the Gregorian calendar, which came into effect in Alaska the following day to replace the Julian calendar used by the Russians (the Julian calendar in the 19th century was 12 days behind the Gregorian calendar). Alaska Day is a holiday for all state workers. Alaska Purchase The Alaska Purchase () was the United States' acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, by a treaty ratified by the United States Senate, and signed by President Andrew Johnson. Russia wanted to"
"Alaska boundary dispute The Alaska boundary dispute was a territorial dispute between the United States and the United Kingdom, which then controlled Canada's foreign relations. It was resolved by arbitration in 1903. The dispute existed between the Russian Empire and Britain since 1821, and was inherited by the United States as a consequence of the Alaska Purchase in 1867. The final resolution favored the American position, and Canada did not get an all-Canadian outlet from the Yukon gold fields to the sea. The disappointment and anger in Canada was directed less at the United States, and more at the British"
"part of the economy. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for 7.2 million U.S. dollars at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as a territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. The name ""Alaska"" () was introduced in the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the Alaska Peninsula. It was derived from an Aleut-language idiom, which figuratively refers to the mainland. Literally, it means ""object to which"
"Alaska Purchase The Alaska Purchase () was the United States' acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, by a treaty ratified by the United States Senate, and signed by President Andrew Johnson. Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, due to the difficulty of living there, apparent lack of natural resources (gold was later discovered in 1896), and fearing that it might be easily seized by the United Kingdom in case of war between the two countries. Russia's primary activities in the territory had been fur trade and missionary work among the Native Alaskans. The land"
"Alaska became a territory of the United States in 1867, when it was purchased from the Russian Empire. Events in the 20th century such as World War II and the Cold War led to the decision to add Alaska as a state to the American Union. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act into United States law on July 7, 1958, which paved the way for Alaska's admission into the Union on January 3, 1959. The vote for statehood was held in 1958. Voters approved the measure by a 6 to 1 margin. Critics of Alaskan statehood, though,"
"it to the United States. Secretary of State William Seward had wanted to purchase Alaska for quite some time as he saw it as an integral part of Manifest Destiny and America's reach to the Pacific Ocean. While the agreement to purchase Alaska was made in April 1867, the actual purchase and transfer of control took place on October 18, 1867. The cost to purchase Alaska was $7.2 million, 2 cents per acre (US Currency in 1897) Sitka served as the US Government Capital of the Department of Alaska (1867-1884) and District of Alaska (1884-1906). The seat of government was"
"between Alaska and what was then the west coast of British North America. Included in the terms of this treaty was the stipulation that the southernmost boundary of Alaskan territory would advance northwards through Portland Canal to the 56th parallel north. This demarcation was claimed to have placed Wales Island firmly in Alaskan territory. There the matter lay until Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, and British Columbia became a province of Canada four years later, in 1871. Between this period and the final settlement of the boundary question in 1903, survey crews from both Canada and"
"for the United States. By 1867, the Russian government saw its North American colony (today Alaska) as a financial liability, and feared eventually losing control of the territory to encroaching American settlers. Russian minister Eduard de Stoeckl was instructed to sell Alaska to the United States. De Stoeckl did so deftly, getting Seward to raise his offer from $5 million (coincidentally, the minimum that Russia had instructed de Stoeckl to accept) to $7 million, and then getting $200,000 added by raising various objections. This sum of $7.2 million is equivalent to $ in present-day terms. On March 30, 1867, de"
"Department of Alaska The Department of Alaska was the designation for the government of Alaska from its purchase by the United States of America in 1867 until its organization as the District of Alaska in 1884. During the department era, Alaska was variously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army (until 1877), the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury (from 1877 until 1879) and the U.S. Navy (from 1879 until 1884). The area later became the District of Alaska, then the Territory of Alaska, then the State of Alaska. At the instigation of U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, the United"
"At that time, a bay in the area was named after Kalevala. It is located in the Posjet Bay, which is a part of the Peter the Great Gulf. Russian America was the name of Russian colonial possessions in North America from 1733 to 1867, that today is the U.S. State of Alaska and settlements in California (1) and Hawaii (3 - starting in 1817) (distant from the North American landmass in the Pacific Ocean and therefore more commonly associated with the other territories of Oceania). Formal incorporation of the possessions by Russia did not take place until the establishment"
"to a total of $7,200,000 on 9 April 1867. The canceled check is in the present day United States National Archives. In present-day Russian Federation and its predecessor the Soviet Union (USSR) there are periodic mass media stories that Alaska was not sold to the United States in the 1867 Alaska Purchase, but only leased for 99 years (= to 1966), or 150 years (= to 2017)—and will be returned to Russia. However, the Alaska Purchase Treaty is absolutely clear that the agreement was for a complete Russian cession of the territory. The Soviet Union (USSR) released a series of"
"extending the border westward along the 49th parallel. This paved the way for British colonies on Vancouver Island (1849) and in British Columbia (1858). In 1867, the same year as Canadian Confederation, Britain declined to purchase for Canada the Alaska territory that was tenuously held by Russia. With the United States purchasing Alaska instead, clearly demarcated borders for Canada, although there would continue to be some disputes about the exact demarcation of the Alaska-Yukon and Alaska-BC border for years to come. Following several constitutional conferences, the ""Constitution Act"" officially proclaimed Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867, initially with four provinces:"
"Russian America Russian America (, ""Russkaya Amerika"") was the name of the Russian colonial possessions in North America from 1733 to 1867. Its capital was Novo-Archangelsk (""New Arkhangelsk""), which is now Sitka, Alaska, USA. Settlements spanned parts of what are now the U.S. states of California, Alaska and two ports in Hawaii. Formal incorporation of the possessions by Russia did not take place until the Ukase of 1799 which established a monopoly for the Russian–American Company and also granted the Russian Orthodox Church certain rights in the new possessions. Many of its possessions were abandoned in the 19th century. In"
"after hostilities ended. Therefore, the Russian emperor, Alexander II, decided to sell Alaska. In 1859 the Russians first offered to sell the territory to the British, which turned down the offer on the grounds that such acquisition would overstretch Britain's resources in maintaining Canada and other British colonies outside North America. Then the Russians negotiated with the United States regarding the sale of Alaska, hoping that its presence in the region would offset the plans of Russia's greatest regional rival, the United Kingdom. The deal was finalized on March 30, 1867, when the U.S. purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, ending"
"Territory of Alaska The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska. The territory was created as the District of Alaska on May 17, 1884. The passing of the 1899 Criminal Code, which among other things included a tax on liquor, led to increased calls for Alaskan representation in Congress, and the debate finally ended on August 24, 1912, when the Alaska Territory became an organized, incorporated territory of the United"
"1784. Between 1774 and 1800, Spain sent several expeditions to Alaska in order to assert its claim over the Pacific Northwest. In 1789 a Spanish settlement and fort were built in Nootka Sound. These expeditions gave names to places such as Valdez, Bucareli Sound, and Cordova. Later, the Russian-American Company carried out an expanded colonization program during the early-to-mid-19th century. Sitka, renamed New Archangel from 1804 to 1867, on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in what is now Southeast Alaska, became the capital of Russian America. It remained the capital after the colony was transferred to the United States."
"the permanent Russian trading posts. A third influence were the early Russian Orthodox missionaries, who sought to convert the peoples to their form of Christianity. The missionaries learned native languages, and conducted services in those languages from the early decades of the 19th century. The Treaty of Saint Petersburg of 1825 defined the boundaries between Russian America and British Empire claims and possessions in the Pacific Northwest. The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867. Originally organized as the Department of Alaska (1867–1884), the area was renamed as the District of Alaska (1884–1912) and the"
"Alaska Statehood Act The Alaska Statehood Act () was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 7, 1958, allowing Alaska to become the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959. From 1867 to 1884 Alaska was considered to be a military district of the United States of America under the control of the federal government. Alaskans had sought statehood since as early as the 1920s, though this vision was not realized until the decade after World War II. In 1884, the government passed the Organic Act which allowed for Alaska to become a judicial district as well as a"
"Alaska Alaska (; ; ; ) is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of North America. The Canadian administrative divisions of British Columbia and Yukon border the state to the east, its most extreme western part is Attu Island, and it has a maritime border with Russia (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) to the west across the Bering Strait. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas—the southern parts of the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. It is the largest state in the United States by area and the seventh largest subnational division in"
"territory and promoted ratification of the Alaska purchase. Born in Helsinki, Finland, as Gustaf Ferdinand Nybom to a Swedish-speaking family. This spelling of his name is rendered in the original Swedish form. As a 16-year-old Gustaf first came to Alaska on a voyage aboard a ship owned by the Russian-American Company. During this period both Alaska and Finland were regions under Russian control. On his return he studied for his Master's exam in Helsinki and was soon back in Alaska working as a helmsman. He later advanced to the rank of captain. Alaska came under American control in October 1867."
"had insufficient military capacity to take on the allied Haida and Tlingit and the killer was never identified or caught. In March 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire. Formal transfer of Russia's claimed colony to the United States took place in October in Sitka. The territory was designated the ""Department of Alaska"" and assigned to the U.S. Army for occupation and rule. American military rule under the U.S. Army and then U.S. Navy lasted until 1884, and was characterized by inconsistency, violence, and legal ambiguity. Historian Bobby Lain described Alaska at this time as ""an insular"
"Time in Alaska Alaska is covered by two time zones, as described below: In 1901, Alaska started to use time zones. Before time zones were introduced, every place used local observation of the sun to set their clocks, which means they used local mean time, every city different based on their longitude. On 18 October 1867 Alaska changed from belonging to Russia (Russian America), to belonging to the United States (the Alaska Purchase). Before this event, Alaska used the same date as Asia. The capital was Sitka (135.3345°W) which had local time +14:59 before 1867 and -9:01 afterwards. This means"
"it its present-day borders. Nebraska Territory was admitted to the US as the 37th state, Nebraska. Canada was formed from three provinces of British North America: the Province of Canada, which was split into the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and the colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. At this time, though, Canada did not become independent according to the modern meaning of the word. The Statute of Westminster 1931 made Canada much closer to being independent, but not completely. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia; it was designated the Department of Alaska, and corresponds, except for a"
"of American annexation. The first, in 1867, was addressed to Queen Victoria, demanding that the British government assume the colony's debts and establish a steamer link, or allow the colony to join the U.S. In 1869, a second petition was addressed to President Ulysses S. Grant, asking him to negotiate American annexation of the territory from Britain. It was delivered to Grant by Vincent Colyer, Indian Commissioner for Alaska, on December 29, 1869. Both petitions were signed by only a small fraction of the colony's population, and British Columbia was ultimately admitted as a Canadian province in 1871. Most Canadians"
"to the prosecution of the Crimean War and, after the fall of Sevastopol, to negotiations for peace led by his trusted counsellor, Prince Alexander Gorchakov. The country had been exhausted and humiliated by the war. Bribe-taking, theft and corruption were rampant. Encouraged by public opinion, Alexander began a period of radical reforms, including an attempt not to depend on landed aristocracy controlling the poor, an effort to develop Russia's natural resources, and to reform all branches of the administration. In 1867 he sold Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million (equivalent to roughly $200 million in current dollars) after"
"States Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 on April 9, 1867, and the United States flag was raised on October 18 of that same year (now called Alaska Day). Coincident with the ownership change, the de facto International Date Line was moved westward, and Alaska changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for residents, Friday, October 6, 1867 was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867; two Fridays in a row because of the date line shift. On the morning of October 18, 1867, arrived at Sitka with Russian Commissioner Captain Alexis Pestchouroff and"
"United States Constitution which took effect on December 18, 1865. When Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867, slavery became illegal in Alaska. In 1903 there were still documented cases of slavery in the territory. Aleutian girls could be purchased by wealthy families to do the housework, and were often not allowed to participate in child play or become educated. These girls tended to come from the Atta Islands. From 1911 until the passage of the Fur Seal Act in 1966, the inhabitants of the Pribilof Islands were governed directly by employees of the United States federal government,"
"coal deposits were found. In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire. By 1869, a number of military posts had been established by the Government of the United States, although the Aleutian Islands did not receive such a post, with the nearest post being located on Kodiak Island. The United States Army made the decision to leave the exploration of the Aleutians to the United States Navy, and the latter showed little interest in doing so. The Aleutian Islands played a small role in the ongoing sealing dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States, which"
"April 9, his foreign relations committee approved and sent the treaty to the Senate. In a 3-hour speech, Sumner spoke in favor of the treaty on the Senate floor, describing in detail Alaska's imperial history, natural resources, population, and climate. Sumner wanted to block British expansion from Canada, arguing that Alaska was geographically and financially strategic, especially for the Pacific Coast States. He said Alaska would increase America's borders, spread republican institutions, and represent an act of friendship with Russia. The treaty won its needed two-thirds majority by one vote. The 1867 treaty neither formally recognized, categorized, nor compensated any"