By 1732 Alaska was settled by Russianfur trappers and traders who expanded via Siberia and by the 700+ Russian Orthodox Church missionaries sent to build churches and settle in Alaska.
In 1741, Russia claimed Alaska as its territory and over the years, established colonies there. It also took advantage of Alaska’s natural resources, especially when fur trading became a booming business. The Russian-American Co./RAC was a state-sponsored company, chartered by Emperor Paul I of Russia in 1799. It had the mission of establishing new settlements in Russian America, trading furs and expanding colonisation. After all Russia and Alaska were separated by the Bering Strait, barely 88ks at its narrowest.
Russia and Britain had been on opposite sides of the bloody Crimean War that lasted from 1853-6. British, French and Turkish forces had lined up against a Russian-Ottoman alliance. But the two nations were also struggling to increase their power in the Pacific Ocean.
Let us reiterate why Russia didn’t sell Alaska to Canada. Canada was not a sovereign nation in 1867! British Columbia could not have been a Canadian Province; it was still a British colony. In any case the Russians were very leery about Britain.
2) Supply lines. The colony prospered under the Russian Governor Alexander Baranov and the fur trade thrived. The naval governors who took over the company after Baranov expanded the company’s influence to River Yukon where they looked for different furs. After exhausting the fur trade by the 1850s, the RAC had no source of income and depended on supplies from Russia. After the Crimean War began, Turkey, France and Britain stood between Russia and Alaska.
3) Natural Resources. The lack of resources and tough conditions in Alaska made the sale inevitable. By the time Russia was selling Alaska, gold had not yet been discovered. The California gold rush confirmed that if gold were to be found in Alaska, the Russians would be overwhelmed by Canadian and American miners. ![]()
Signing of the Alaska Treaty, 1867 (above)
Painted by Emmanuel Leutze.
Seward House Museum in Auburn, NY
Although the War had been concentrated on Russia’s SW flank, it also spread to the Pacific when a fleet of Russian cruisers based in Siberian ports threatened Britain’s trading links with California. A combined British-French squadron was assembled at Hawaii and in July 1854 it set sail in pursuit of the Russian ships.
So Russia remained fearful of Britain’s Pacific ambitions. Vancouver Island, alongside western Canada, was already a British Crown Colony and the population of neighbouring British Columbia was increasing rapidly, as gold prospectors rushed to western Canada. Plans were advanced to incorporate the territory into the Empire; Britain’s colonies in North America would share a land border with Russia.
Russia felt pressure as both Britain and U.S expanded their power across North America. And as the Alaska territory was remote, sparsely populated and undefendable, and as the fur trade dwindled, Russia began re-considering the value of its Alaskan land. But to whom would they sell Alaska? Canada was still a colony of Britain and though the two territories shared a border, Russia and Britain were still rivals.
So Russia remained fearful of Britain’s Pacific ambitions. Vancouver Island, alongside western Canada, was already a British Crown Colony and the population of neighbouring British Columbia was increasing rapidly, as gold prospectors rushed to western Canada. Plans were advanced to incorporate the territory into the Empire; Britain’s colonies in North America would share a land border with Russia.
Russia felt pressure as both Britain and U.S expanded their power across North America. And as the Alaska territory was remote, sparsely populated and undefendable, and as the fur trade dwindled, Russia began re-considering the value of its Alaskan land. But to whom would they sell Alaska? Canada was still a colony of Britain and though the two territories shared a border, Russia and Britain were still rivals.
Let us reiterate why Russia didn’t sell Alaska to Canada. Canada was not a sovereign nation in 1867! British Columbia could not have been a Canadian Province; it was still a British colony. In any case the Russians were very leery about Britain.
Why Did Russia Sell Alaska to the USA?
1) Security. After being defeated by Britain in the Crimean War, the Russians would need funds to defend themselves again. Russia feared that Alaska would be easily captured in any future battle with the British, so Emperor Alexander II opted to sell the colony. Although I am not sure this is true, Russia apparently approached both the British & Americans in 1859. Britain's Prime Minister rejected the offer, so they turned to the Americans instead. But in 1859 the Americans were busy facing their impending Civil War.
2) Supply lines. The colony prospered under the Russian Governor Alexander Baranov and the fur trade thrived. The naval governors who took over the company after Baranov expanded the company’s influence to River Yukon where they looked for different furs. After exhausting the fur trade by the 1850s, the RAC had no source of income and depended on supplies from Russia. After the Crimean War began, Turkey, France and Britain stood between Russia and Alaska.
3) Natural Resources. The lack of resources and tough conditions in Alaska made the sale inevitable. By the time Russia was selling Alaska, gold had not yet been discovered. The California gold rush confirmed that if gold were to be found in Alaska, the Russians would be overwhelmed by Canadian and American miners.
After the Alaskan Purchase of 1867
Russia and Canada (orange); USA (cream)
After the Union won the Civil War in 1865, Pres Andrew Johnson was busy with reconstruction but Secretary of State William Seward believed that buying Alaska would divert locals’ attention from the post-war chaos. Interest was rekindled and the tsar instructed his ambassador to the US, Edward de Stoeckl, to begin formal negotiations with Secretary of State. Of course the potential deal offered a great expansion of US territory, and a strategic location between Russia and British North America.
Alaska was sold to the USA in Mar 1867 with a negotiated treaty, known as the Alaska Purchase, that was signed by Pres Andrew Johnson and ratified by the U.S Senate. Alaska added 586,000 square miles of territory to the USA for at a mere $7.2 mill! In the same year, 1867, Britain established the Dominion of Canada, moving the territory closer to becoming its own nation.
When the Alaska Treaty was signed in 1867, the Russian minister Eduard Stoeckl was standing beside the globe and pointing to Russian America while the US secretary of state, William Seward, signed the document. Many Russians quickly returned home.
The Americans who believed that Alaska was full of riches migrated into the territory, and after discovering that they would need funds to mine, they realised the territory was not profitable for the U.S. Nonetheless U.S and Canada had a long, bitter dispute, because Britain was still controlling Canada's foreign relations. This territorial dispute was only resolved by arbitration in 1903, favouring the American position; Canada did not get an all-Canadian outlet from the Yukon gold fields to the sea!
For decades the U.S largely ignored Alaska, which was governed by military rule. Seeking a way to impose national mining laws, the U.S constituted a civil government in 1884. Sceptics had dubbed the purchase of Alaska Seward’s Folly, but the former Secretary of State was vindicated when major Yukon gold deposits were discovered in 1896. Alaska became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields, attracting many new settlers for the first time. Alaska’s strategic importance was finally recognised in WW2.