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1890s, Alaska was in the midst of a gold rush. Now everyone loved Name Alaska. Lots of people had the same dream - a dream about striking it rich in the Klondike. Many people sold their homes, packed up all of their belongings, and moved to Alaska to mine for gold. Alaska for Sale Today, Alaska is one of the 50 states. It is a valuable part of the United States in many ways. As crowds of people and buildings fill By Sharon Fabian many parts of the United States, the Alaskan wilderness has become a prized natural resource. Vacationers travel to Alaska to enjoy nature The United States was growing. In the and to see the wildlife there. Maybe they will get to see an Alaskan second half of the 1800s, many people moose, a bowhead whale, or a 100-pound king salmon. felt that it was the "manifest destiny" of the United States to spread from the Alaska provides many economic benefits. Oil was discovered in East Coast all the way to the West Alaska in the 1890s, and oil production has grown into a huge Coast. A few people had even bigger industry, more valuable than Alaskan gold ever was. Alaska is also a dreams. Secretary of State William H. major commercial fishing source, providing herring, salmon, halibut, Seward was one of them. He hoped to shellfish, and other healthy seafood. see the U.S. expand to the northern edge of the continent too. So, you can Alaska has been called our last frontier. The name Alaska comes imagine that when he heard that Russia from an Aleut word that simply means "great land." might be interested in selling Alaska, he jumped at the chance. Alaska for Sale He negotiated a purchase price with Edouard de Stoeckl, the Russian diplomat. They settled on $7,200,000. This came to 12.5 cents per Questions acre for a plot of land twice the size of Texas. At the same time that he was negotiating a price, Seward was 1. The United States bought Alaska from ______. negotiating on another front too. The Congress of the United States A. France hadn't yet made up its mind to make the purchase, but Seward finally B. Mexico convinced them. By one vote, the Senate appropriated the money, and C. Russia the U.S. bought Alaska. On October 18, 1867, the Russian flag was D. Canada lowered and a United States flag was raised over the city of Sitka, Alaska. 2. The United States bought Alaska for ______. A. 12.5 cents Even though Congress had approved the purchase, many people still B. $12.50 questioned whether it was worthwhile. They called Alaska "Seward's C. $7,200,000 folly," "Seward's icebox," and the "polar bear garden." D. $7,000,000 Seward disagreed. One time he was asked what his greatest accomplishment was. He answered, "The purchase of Alaska! But it will take a generation to find that out." Eventually, opinions about Alaska did change. When gold was discovered near Sitka in 1872, people took notice. Gold was discovered in several more locations in Alaska too, and by the late Write a persuasive paragraph telling Congress why they should Name provide the money to purchase Alaska. 3. "Manifest destiny" was the belief that the United States would extend from the East Coast to ______. A. the Mississippi River B. Russia C. the West Coast D. the northern edge of the continent 4. The Alaska purchase was called ______. A. Seward's great idea B. Seward's mistake C. Seward's prize D. Seward's folly 5. ______ was discovered in Alaska. A. both B. gold C. oil D. neither 6. Alaska is the home of a large ______ industry. A. fishing B. oil C. tourism D. all of the above 7. Sitka is a city in ______. A. Alaska B. Russia C. Canada D. none of the above 8. From the name "Seward's folly," you can guess that the word folly means a ______. A. guess B. wise investment C. foolish act D. gift Name Create a travel brochure advertising the state of Alaska to tourists. Find information for your brochure online or in an encyclopedia or other reference book. Look for interesting facts about Alaska's people, land, wildlife, history, and recreation..
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