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pbsthisdayinhistory:

October 18, 1867: United States Takes Possession of Alaska

On this day in 1867, the United States formally took possession of Alaska, a vast northern territory measuring 591,000 square miles, from Russia. William H. Seward, the Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson, saw the massive Alaska territory as a chance to cheaply expand the size of the nation.

The U.S. secured the purchase of Alaska at the rate of less than two cents per acre. In the following decades, Alaska proved to be a remarkable source of natural resources from gold to oil.

Explore American Experience’s “Alaska from Russian Colony to U.S. State” timeline, which highlights the major events in the acquisition of the land that became America’s 49th state.

Photo: Library of Congress