Urgent.. not "Scratches" President, but it is through the lessons of history
US President-elect Donald Trump proposed the idea of buying Greenland, not one of his well-known ramblings, but it was an idea that came from the lessons of history.
Many may not know that the United States It bought the states of Alaska, Louisiana, and the Virgin Islands from Russia, France, and Denmark, respectively. So people began to remember the story of how the United States bought Alaska from Russia, and even bought a large area “at a price” A competitor.
Trump had recently once again expressed his desire to buy Greenland, the largest island in the world and an autonomous region of Denmark.
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Trump promoted this idea in 2019, during his first term as president.
However, just as happened 5 years ago, it remains The answer from Greenland is "No".
It is unclear whether such a deal to "large-scale real estate purchase" Possible, but more than a century ago such transactions would not have been unusual.
Before the Alaska Purchase in 1867, America purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million In 1803. There was even a deal that included Denmark, where the government in Copenhagen sold what is now the US Virgin Islands in 1917.
It returned the desire "Trump" In purchasing Greenland, people are reminded of the story of how America bought Alaska from Russia, and even bought a large area of land “at a competitive price”.
“A profitable real estate deal”
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In 1867, few Americans knew about Alaska. The reason is simply that it is a remote land, not bordered by any American territory, and if you look at a map, you will find that it is located higher north than most areas of Canada.
And people who know Alaska see this as a place. It was a remote, barren region, a wasteland with nothing.
So, when then-Secretary of State, Seward, urged President Andrew Johnson to buy this frozen land, he offered To criticize Many people asked why he had to waste time and money on her, especially at a time when America was facing so many problems. Difficulties?
In the late 1860s, America was gripped by the effects of the Civil War and purchasing Alaska was not a priority.
Politicians and journalists who opposed the Alaska purchase from the beginning of negotiations called it “Seward’s Madness,” “Johnson’s Polar Bear Park,” or “Wonderland.” Russian".
Secretary of State Seward ignored all objections and continued to promote the agreement.
Ultimately, he negotiated a price of $7.2 million “The equivalent of more than $150 million today.”
For just $7.2 million, Washington purchased a large area of land, which later became larger A state in the United States. ;.
Secretary of State William Seward later received much praise for his role in the "Bargain Deal" To buy Alaska.
However, he could not promote the agreement without the support of President Johnson.
In In fact, Seward is not the first US Secretary of State to promote the purchase of Alaska, as many of his predecessors had considered this idea. Some even sat at the negotiating table with their Russian counterparts to discuss specific terms, but in the end the two sides were unable to reach any agreement.
Why did Russia want to sell Alaska?
Why did Russia want to sell Alaska?
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It seems that Russia “regretted” On the sale of Alaska to the United States.
In 2024, the Russians criticized the decision to sell such a large area of land at such a cheap price.
However, history and politics are not that simple. At that time, Russia had no other choice but to sell Alaska.
Although it It is only a few dozen away kilometers from the easternmost point of Russian territory across the Bering Strait, but Alaska is more than 6,440 kilometers away from Moscow, and it is very difficult to manage this place.
Another very strange reason why Russia’s desire to sell Alaska is the otter.
The mid-nineteenth century was a period of "boom" To trade sea otter furs on the international market, up to this point, Russia has exploited Alaskan otters for more than a century "The Russians arrived in Alaska in 1732 and formally declared sovereignty over this territory in 1821".
By the 1850s, sea otters had been poached to the point of extinction, and if there were no more otters, there would be no There’s a reason to stay in Alaska.
Alaska became increasingly worthless to Russia after its defeat at the hands of Britain, France, and the Ottomans in the Crimean War.
Just like any side that loses in a war, Russia needs money and the quickest way to get money is to sell assets.
Russia then wanted sale Its territory belongs to a relatively young country, the United States, which at the time did not face any major problems or threats.
If Russia simply abandoned Alaska, it would be very likely that Britain – which It was a competitor to Russia at the time – occupying that territory, which is a scenario that Russia did not want and is also the reason the United States agreed to buy the territory.
"The Americans were worried Also that Britain might seek to occupy this region, while the acquisition of Alaska would help the United States become a power in the Pacific,” commented William L. Egyajrk Hensley in Smithsonian Magazine in 2019. 2017.
After an intense all-night negotiating session, representatives of the two countries agreed to reach an agreement, shook hands and signed the contract at 4: 00 am on March 30, 1867.
The official transfer ceremony was held six months later in Sitka settlement in Alaska. The Russian flag was lowered and the American flag was raised.
During the negotiations, none of the indigenous people of Alaska, whether Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Athabascan, Tlingit, or Haida, were consulted.
Alaska began bringing profits to America during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899. Large numbers of residents moved to Alaska, along with the growth of industry.
However, Alaska did not officially become a US state until 1959, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Alaska State Law.
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