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1895 Map of
Alaska. Source: 1895 U.S. Atlas. |
New York World, April
1, 1867
"Russia has sold us a sucked orange. Whatever may be the
value of that territory and its outlying islands to us, it
has ceased to be of any to Russia. The only way she ever
did, or ever could, utilize the northwest coast was in
prosecution of the fur trade. But that trade has declined
and nearly run out by the destruction of the animals
(particularly the otter), which have been hunted so
industriously that not enough were left to breed and keep up
the race. What remains of the Russian fur trade is not of
sufficient importance to justify the expense of the naval
protection required by the establishments. Russia has
therefore done wisely in selling the territory and islands
which to her had become useless."
Chicago Evening
Journal, April 1, 1867
"The paltry sum of $7,000,000 for a country nearly eight
times as large as this state [Illinois] and 400
miles of coast, shows Russia has some ulterior object to
gain.....[It] more than doubles our Pacific Coast,
yet adds but little to the productive territory of the
nation. Russian America is a dreary waste of snow and ice.
...Its military importance is its chief value, although its
commercial significance may become, eventually, very great.
The commerce of the Pacific has not been developed to any
considerable extent, but it is destined to pass and perhaps
rival, and probably surpass, that of the Atlantic. This
cession of Russian America will probably help us materially
in controlling that commerce."
New York Daily Tribune,
April 11, 1867
"We simply obtain by the treaty the nominal possession
of impassable deserts of snow, vast tracts of dwarf timbers,
frozen rivers, inaccessible mountain ranges, with a few
islands where the climate is more moderate, and a scanty
population supported by fishing and trading with the
Indians. Virtually we get, by an expenditure of seven
millions in gold, Sitka and the Prince of Wales Islands. All
the rest is waste territory, and no energy of the American
people will be sufficient to make mining speculations in the
60th degree north latitude profitable, or to reclaim
wilderness which border on the Arctic Ocean. We may make a
treaty with Russia but we can not make a treaty with the
North Wind, or the Snow King."
Portland Daily Oregonian,
April 2, 1867
"The purchase by our Government of the Russian North
American Possessions is the most valuable acquisition of
territory obtained by the United States since the cession of
California. The negotiation was entirely unexpected, as no
hint of it had escaped from any quarter. Considering the
great value of this acquisition the sum paid for it-seven
millions of dollars must be allowed to be small indeed. We
paid ten million for Arizona, a piece of unproductive
territory that can never be as great a value to the United
States as this new purchase."
The London Times,
April 2, 1867
"Our policy is clear. Since we have no right whatever to
protest against an act entirely within the discretion of the
Russian and United States Governments, let us not place
ourselves in a false position by vain remonstrance. It is
said that British Columbia is almost cut off from the
Pacific by the occupation by what ought to be a portion of
its seaboard. The sufficient answer is that it was
effectually cut off before, for America has only bought what
belonged to Russia, and no Englishman ever dreamt that
Russia would part with it to us. We are materially no worse
off than before, while our moral right to our own
possessions remains absolutely untouched."
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For information on the Harriman Retraced Expedition e-mail: harriman2001@science.smith.edu |