How much did the United States pay Russia for Alaska in 1867?

The United States paid Russia $7.2 million for Alaska in 1867.

Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the purchase with Russian diplomat Eduard de Stoeckl. The treaty was signed on March 30, 1867, and the Senate ratified it on May 15. The formal transfer took place in Sitka on October 18.

The deal added about 586,412 square miles to the United States. Critics mocked the purchase as “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox,” believing the territory was remote and economically useless. Those descriptions became less persuasive after gold, oil, and other natural resources were developed.

Alaska initially passed through several administrative stages, including the Department of Alaska, the District of Alaska, and the Territory of Alaska. It became the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959. The purchase price is often remembered as about two cents per acre at the time.