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The Alaska Purchase from Russia by the United States occurred in 1867 at the behest of Secretary of State William Seward. The Alaska Purchase resulted in what is now the U.S. state of Alaska.
Seward convinced the United States Senate to approve the purchase of about 600,000 square miles (1,600,000 km²) from Russia for US$7,200,000 on April 9, 1867 (the treaty was signed on March 30). The Senate approved the purchase by just one vote. The treaty was negotiated with Baron Eduard de Stoeckl, Russian minister to the United States. For comparison, US$7.2 million in 1867 is equivalent to about US$86.7 million in 2002 dollars.
Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska from the ownership of Russia to the United States, which took place on October 18, 1867.
Currently, Alaska celebrates the purchase on Seward's Day, the last Monday of March.
See also
List of treaties
Timeline of United States diplomatic history
Historic regions of the United States
Department of Alaska
District of Alaska
Alaska Territory
External links
Category:Alaska history
Category:U.S. history of expansionism
Category:United States treaties
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