Why Didn't Russia Sell Alaska to Canada?

in new wealth for the United States. Also lucrative, where the land's abundance of timber, salmon, and petroleum. Plus Alaska became a real strategic asset for the United States military once the Cold War arrived. So why did the Russians part with the region and why didn't they sell it to Canada, which actually borders Alaska. To answer these questions, we have to look back to the nineteenth century, when a proto Cold War emerged. Historians call it the Great Game.

From eighteen twenty nine to nineteen o seven, the Empires of Russia and Great Britain shared a mutual hostility. Each wanted to expand its influence in Central Asia as well as across the Pacific Ocean. Thus a rivalry was born. The animosity sparked or intensified several military conflicts, most notably the Crimean War of eighteen fifty three to eighteen fifty six, which pitted Russia against the allied forces of Britain, France, Sardinia,

and the Ottoman Empire. Ultimately, Russia was defeated. By some estimates, they suffered eight hundred thousand casualties or more. Although this war was restricted to Eurasia, it had major ramifications across the Pacific. Among other things, it called into question the future of Alaska. Following decades of exploration. Russia had claimed Alaska back in seventeen forty one. It then founded its first North American settlement there on August three of seventeen

eighty four. This was established by one of several fur trading organizations that operated in the area, ostensibly on the Empire's behalf. In seventeen ninety nine, Czar Paul the First merged several of these into the Russian American Company, a powerful conglomerate. The Russian American Company was given a trade monopoly on Alaskan resources. It was also tasked with creating

new settlements and expanding Russia's presence in the Americas. To this end, the company manager had his men venture all the way down to what's now northern California, where they set up an outpost called Fort Ross on February second of eighteen twelve. The Russian American Company's grand vision was for this establishment to serve as an agricultural hub, one whose crops would sustain its own settlers and those up

in Alaska. With their food supply guaranteed, the colonists in both locations would have an easier time harvesting what was then the Pacific's most profitable commodity see otter pelts. Several times more valuable than the coveted beaver and fur seal pelts,

these were the lifeblood of the Russian American economy. Unfortunately, Fort Ross's farming output was grossly inadequate, and to make matters worse, the Russian fur trappers over hunted those sea otters so badly that the animals nearly vanished from the North Pacific. The Russians therefore gave up on Fort Ross, which was sold to an American frontiersman in eighteen forty four. Then Along came the Crimean War, in which Alaska threatened

to become a liability. Had the British decided to invade this territory, Russia's overextended military would have struggled to protect it. No such attack ever came, as the British chose to

stay out of Alaska during the war. Still, many in the Tsar's government now questioned the wisdom of clinging to a remote, sparsely populated colony whose main source of revenue was disappearing, especially because whaling ships from Britain and the United States often infringed on Russian American Company controlled waters, further complicating the entire situation. So after the Crimean War in the late eighteen fifties, Russia started entertaining the idea

of a sale. Under different circumstances. The province of Canada might have looked like an ideal buyer thanks to the one thousand five hundred mile or about two thousand five hundred kilometer border it shared with Alaska, but Canada was not yet self governing and still resided under the United Kingdom's firm control. As such, handing Alaska off to Canada would have given Britain an extra chess piece in the

Great Game. But fortunately for Russia, a better candidate presented itself during the Crimean War that found a surprising ally. American newspapers were overwhelmingly supportive of the Russian cause, and the States gave the Czar's troops weapons and other supplies. Even the US government was officially neutral, Both superpowers saw British imperialism as a threat. Recognizing this, Russia allowed its foreign Minister to the US to approach American leaders with

an offer to sell Alaska in eighteen fifty four. The deal fell through, and the topic wasn't seriously discussed again until after the American Civil War. The Secretary of State under President's Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson was one William Seward, a talented diplomat who had been preaching Alaska's merits for years.

In eighteen sixty seven, he and Russia's Foreign minister to the US struck a deal that would see the US take possession of the territory in exchange for seven point two million dollars, which is worth over a hundred and thirty eight million today. And that's how On October eighteenth of eighteen sixty seven, Alaska formally became an American territory. Since nineteen eleven, residents of the Last Frontier have been celebrating that anniversary as a major holiday called Alaska Day.

Today's episode is based on the article why didn't Russia Sell Alaska to Canada on housetof Works dot com, written by Mark Nancini. Brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio and partnership with how stuff works dot com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.