Do you think buying Alaska was a good idea?

Question

What's your opinion of our purchase of Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for $7 million dollars ($1.67 Billion equivalent in todays adjusted dollars)?

Exactly, I think it's pretty much a universal opinion today that buying Alaska was a stroke of genious but at the time, over 150 years ago it was almost universally condemed. The US public hated it and were very upset about. So, my point is you can't always judge whats going on by what you see right now, sometimes you have to look years, decades or even centuries ahead and see what might be to discern whether its a wise descision or not. It's the difference between statemanship and politics.

Answer 1

Fantastic deal when you consider that the oil in Alaska has paid for the purchase, and we no longer have one of our biggest rivals on the shores of our continent. If you think the Cuban missle crisis scared the country, imagine a Juno missle crisis with ground troups thrown in for good measure.

Answer 2

I think the purchase of Alaska was strategic for the United States and a great deal considering it was 14 dollars a square mile (640 acres).

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure we pump over 7M$ of crude oil a day down the Alaskan pipeline so it wasn't that bad of a deal for us.

Answer 4

It all evens out in the end since Manhattan was purchase for some beads and trinkets.

Answer 5

Yes, that state border's other states in the US. It's also where lots of our oil comes from. It was a good buy then and still is.'

Answer 6

Well, the oil was a good thing, but it did give us Ted Stevens (who was actually born in my state...Ugh). I'll call it an even draw.

Answer 7

Excellent Idea. Lots of natural resources there.

Answer 8

Good deal.

Answer 9

yes where else were we going to get our oil.