USA HISTORY

What was one benefit of the U.S. purchasing Alaska from Russia?

(A) ** gold

(B) people

(C) soil

(D) water

Concept note-1: -This purchase ended Russia’s presence in North America and ensured U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim.

Concept note-2: -In Alaska, the Americans foresaw a potential for gold, fur and fisheries, as well as more trade with China and Japan. The Americans worried that England might try to establish a presence in the territory, and the acquisition of Alaska – it was believed – would help the U.S. become a Pacific power.

Concept note-3: -Public opinion of the purchase turned more favorable when gold was discovered in Nome, Alaska, in 1899, sparking a gold rush. Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, and is now recognized for its vast natural resources. Today, 25 percent of America’s oil and over 50 percent of its seafood come from Alaska.

Concept note-4: -Though mocked by some at the time, the 1867 purchase of Alaska came to be regarded as a masterful deal. The treaty enlarged the United States by 586, 000 square miles, an area more than twice the size of Texas, all for the bargain price of around two cents an acre.

Concept note-5: -United States acquisition of Hawaii enabled the American Navy to access Hawaii’s naval base, Pearl Harbor. Acquisition of Alaska enabled the United States to expand, find valuable resources and become more of a world power.