what year did russia sell alaska to the united states
1867
title: Alaska Purchase text: 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 title: Alaska Purchase text: 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 title: Crimean War text: 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 title: Russian colonization of the Americas text: 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 title: Alaska Purchase text: resources in maintaining Alaska as well as its territories and colonies outside North America. Then the Russians offered to sell the territory to the United States, hoping that its presence in the region would offset the plans of Britain. However, no deal was reached, as the risk of an American Civil War was a more pressing concern in Washington. Grand Duke Konstantin, a younger brother of the Tsar, began to press for the handover of Russian America to the United States in 1857. In a memorandum to Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov he stated that Konstantin's letter was shown to his