The Alaska Purchase transferred Alaska from Russia to the United States in 1867.
The United States agreed to pay Russia $7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the treaty with Russian minister Eduard de Stoeckl, and President Andrew Johnson signed it on March 30, 1867.
The formal transfer ceremony took place at Sitka on October 18, 1867. The territory was initially administered by the U.S. military, followed by periods under the Treasury Department and the U.S. Navy. Some Americans mocked the deal as “Seward’s Folly,” believing the remote territory had little value.
The discovery of gold and later development of Alaska’s natural resources changed public opinion. Alaska became the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959, nearly 92 years after the purchase.