Who gave Alaska to America? Did Catherine sell Alaska? The history of the sale of Alaska to America

Alaska in terms of area of its territory is equal to three France. This is not only gold Klondike, but also tungsten, platinum, mercury, molybdenum, coal. And, most importantly, here is the development of giant oil fields, reaching up to eighty-three million tons per year. This makes up twenty percent of the total volume of US oil production. For comparison: Kuwait produces about sixty-five, and the United Arab Emirates - seventy million tons per year.

Many contemporaries mistakenly believe that Alaska was sold by Catherine II. But this is not so. A similar statement to some extent among young people became popular after the song of the band Lube "Do not fool around, America". It says that the Empress was not right, having done so to this area. Proceeding from this, young people who do not understand history, and concluded that he gave Alaska to America.

Geographical position

Today Alaska is the largest by area, the forty-ninth state of the USA. This is the coldest territory of the country. Most of it is dominated by the Arctic and subarctic climatic zones. Here the norm is severe frosty winters, accompanied by strong winds and snow storms. An exception is only part of the Pacific coast, where the climatic conditions are moderate and quite suitable for habitation.

Before Sale

The history of Alaska (before its transfer to the United States) was associated with the Russian Empire. Even in the eighteenth century this region was undividedly Russian. It is not known from what time the history of Alaska began - the settlement of this cold and inhospitable land. However, the fact that in the deepest antiquity between Asia and North America there was a certain relationship, there is no doubt. And it was carried out along the Bering Strait, which was covered with ice crust. People in those days easily crossed from one continent to another. The minimum width of the Bering Strait is only eighty-six kilometers. Such a distance was quite possible to overcome on dog sleds to any more or less experienced hunter.

When the glacial period was over, the era of warming began. The ice melted, and the coasts of the continents disappeared beyond the horizon. More people who inhabited Asia did not dare to swim across the icy surface into the unknown. Therefore, beginning with the third millennium BC, Alaska began to learn the Indians. Their tribes from the territory of present-day California moved north, adhering to the Pacific coast. Gradually, the Indians reached the Aleutian Islands, where they settled down.

The development of Alaska by the Russians

Meanwhile, the Russian Empire began to rapidly expand its eastern borders. In the meantime, fleets from European countries were constantly furrowed by the oceans and seas, searching for new colonies, the Russians mastered the Urals and Siberia, the Far East and the Far North. A whole galaxy of strong and courageous people went on ships not to tropical waters, but towards the ice of the severe north. The most famous leaders of the expeditions were Semyon Dezhnev and Fedot Popov, Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov. It was they who in 1732 discovered this land for the rest of the civilized world - long before Russia gave Alaska to America. This date is considered to be official.

But it's one thing to discover, and the other is to equip a new land. The very first Russian settlements in Alaska appeared only in the eighties of the eighteenth century. People engaged in hunting and commerce: hunters caught fur-bearing animals, and merchants bought them. Gradually, this unprecedented land began to turn into a source of profit, since valuable fur in all ages was equated with gold.

Unprofitable edge

Initially, in these northern lands, very rich in furs, the interests of Russians were zealously guarded. However, the years went by, and the total destruction of the same foxes and otters, beavers and mink could not continue indefinitely. The production of bellows fell sharply. Gradually the Russian Klondike began to lose its commercial significance. The situation was aggravated also by the fact that the vast lands have so far not been practically mastered. This became the impetus, the first reason why Russia gave Alaska to America.

Since the end of the thirties of the eighteenth century, at the imperial court began to form the opinion that Alaska is a losing edge. Moreover, the king began to come to the conclusion that, in addition to the headache, this land can not bring anything. It was from this moment began the story of the sale of Alaska to America. The industrialists were sure that investing money in these lands is a total insanity, as they can not pay off. Russian people will not settle this icy wilderness, especially since there are Siberia and Altai, and the Far East, where the climate is much milder, and the lands are fertile.

And the already complicated situation was aggravated by the Crimean War, which began in 1853, which pumped huge sums from the state treasury. In addition, in 1855 Nicholas I died, who was replaced by Alexander II on the throne. The new emperor looked with hope. People expected new reforms. But what reforms are carried out without money?

Forever

When it comes to talking about who gave Alaska to America, everyone for some reason recalls Empress Catherine II. Many believe that it was she who signed her decree on the transfer of "Russian America" to Britain. Allegedly the conversation in the beginning was not about selling, but only about renting for the century. They even tell a story that fully confirms that Alaska was sold by Catherine. It seems that the Empress, who does not know Russian well, instructed to make a contract to a trusted person. The same confused with the spelling: instead of recording "Alaska is transmitted for a century," this person, through absent-mindedness, made a note: "given for ever", which meant forever. So the answer to the question: "Who gave Alaska to America?" - "Catherine!" Will be wrong. Still, we need to study the past of our country more closely.

Alaska: history

Catherine II, according to official history, did nothing of the sort. With her, these lands were not rented out, and certainly not sold. There were no prerequisites for this. The history of selling Alaska began only in half a century, already in the time of Alexander II. It was this emperor who ruled in an era when numerous problems began to emerge, the solution of which required immediate attention.

Of course, this sovereign, who ascended the throne, did not immediately decide on the sale of the northern lands. It's been ten years before the question has matured. To sell land to the state at all times was a very shameful thing. After all, this was evidence of the weakness of the country, its inability to maintain its subordinate territories in the order. However, the Russian treasury needed funds very much. And when they are not there - all the paths are good.

Purchase and sale

However, no one was shouting about this to the whole world. The question of why Russia gave Alaska to America, scrupulous and political, he demanded non-standard solutions. In 1866, a delegate from the Russian Imperial Court arrived in Washington and began to conduct secret negotiations on the sale of the northern lands. Americans showed complaisance, although the time for the deal and for them was unsuccessful. After all, the Civil War, unleashed between the South and the North, barely ended in the United States. That is why the state treasury was completely exhausted.

Ten years after the time when Russia gave Alaska to America, buyers could be asked about five times more, but the Russian court, according to historians, was pinched by lack of money. Therefore, the parties agreed only on 7.2 million dollars in gold equivalent. And although at that time it was very decent money, in translation for the current components of about two hundred and fifty million dollars, but everyone who is interested in the question of who gave Alaska to America, will agree that these northern territories were worth several orders of magnitude more.

One year later

After the conclusion of the agreement, the representative of the imperial court returned to Russia. A year later, in the name of the one who gave Alaska to America - the reigning Alexander II - an urgent telegram was sent with the signature of Andrew Johnson, the US President. It contained a business proposal: Russia was loudly, to the whole world, offered to sell Alaska. But nobody knew about the previous visit of the Russian representative to Washington. It turned out that it was America that initiated the deal, but not Russia. The diplomatic and political conventions were both cleverly preserved by both sides. In the eyes of the whole world, Russia managed not to drop its dignity. And already in March 1867 legal registration of documents was carried out. And from that time "Russian Alaska" ceased to exist. She was awarded the status of an American colony. Later it was renamed the district, and already in 1959 this northern land became the forty-ninth state of the USA.

In justification

Today, having learned who gave Alaska to America, you can, of course, condemn and scold the Russian Emperor Alexander II. However, if you read more closely the political and financial situation of Russia in those distant years, a very definite picture emerges that justifies its decision to some extent.

In 1861 serfdom was finally abolished. Thousands of landlords were left without their peasants, which meant that a large estate lost its stable source of income. Therefore, the state began to pay compensation to the nobles, which should at least somehow cover their material losses. But for the treasury such expenses were estimated at tens of millions of tsarist rubles. And then the Crimean War broke out, and again the money flowed from the treasury river.

The difficult situation for Russia

In order to somehow reimburse the expenses, the royal court occupied huge sums abroad. Foreign governments were very pleased to lend to Russia, because the latter had innumerable natural riches. In the Empire there was a situation where every extra ruble became a joy, and especially one for which it was not necessary to pay interest on debt promissory notes.

That's why the sale of Alaska has matured . Catherine - the great Russian empress - has nothing to do with this matter. And to blame it does not make sense, except that the state has reached a complete decline and with its light hand.

Difficulties in selling

Alaska is a distant northern land permanently bound by eternal ice. She did not bring Russia a single penny. And all over the world knew this very well. And so the imperial court was very concerned about finding a buyer for this useless region of icy cold. Closer than all to Alaska were the United States. They were offered by Russia at their own risk and risk of making a deal. The American Congress, more precisely, many senators, did not immediately agree to such a questionable purchase. The question about it was put to the vote. As a result, more than half of the senators categorically voted against the acquisition: the proposal received from the Russian government did not cause any enthusiasm among the Americans. And in the rest of the world to this deal showed absolute indifference.

Effects

And in Russia itself, the sale of Alaska went completely unnoticed. Newspapers wrote about this on their last pages. Some Russians did not even know that it exists. Although later, when the richest gold reserves were found on this cold northern land, the whole world began to vie with both Alaska and the sale, ridiculing the stupid and short-sighted Russian emperor.

In serious political and financial matters, the subjunctive mood is unacceptable. None of those who later began to condemn Alexander II, never suggested that in Alaska such huge deposits of gold can be. But if we consider the deal not from today's positions, but from the situation that emerged in 1867, many believe that the Russian emperor did absolutely right. And even more so the sale of Alaska by Catherine - just an idle fiction, which has no basis.

Conclusion

A total of one thousand tons of gold was produced on the lands of the former "Russian America". Some on this fabulously enriched, and some were forever lost in this snowy desert. Today, Americans are very inert and somehow uncertainly live their inhospitable land. Alaska has almost no roads. To a few settlements people get either by air or by water. The railway passes through only five cities. In total, this state has six hundred thousand people.