The entire land area of Alaska is equal to approximately three territories of France. Initially it belonged to Russia. Platinum, tungsten, coal and other minerals are mined in Alaska. There are many huge oil fields there.Moreover, all this wealth is now being mined by the United States. So who gave Alaska to America and in what year? Many believe that Catherine II was the culprit of the transfer. However, this opinion is erroneous, and to understand the situation, it is necessary to delve into history.
How did Russia get Alaska?
Many believe that the Russian explorer Vitus Bering was the first to discover Alaska. The pioneer crossed the strait, which was later named after him. A little later, on October 22, 1784, merchant Grigory Shelikhov appeared on the shores of Alaska. He became the founder of the first settlement on the island. Kodiak. After 4 years, the village was badly damaged by the tsunami, and the village moved to the other side of the island, which was called Pavlovskaya Harbor.Shelikhov taught the Indians to eat potatoes and turnips, became a distributor of Orthodoxy and founded the settlement “Glory to Russia”. From the moment colonization began (in 1795), Alaska officially became Russian territory. A few years later, the capital appeared - Sitka. 200 Russians and 1 thousand aulets lived in it.
Alaska Sitka
However, Alaska was actually discovered not by Bering, but by Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. He started his journey from the mouth of the Kolyma and ended it in Anadyr. Dezhnev, naturally, shared the discovery with Peter I. However, the emperor decided to check that Asia and America were connected. Therefore, he sent the ships of Chirikov and Bering to Alaska.
In 1732, the first expedition to the new Russian territory took place. In 1741 it was examined for the first time. Of the Europeans, the first person to visit Alaska was James Cook, then the Spanish expedition was met by the Russians. In any case, it turns out that the territory was Russian from the very beginning.
Who sold Alaska to America and when?
To figure out who sold Alaska among the kings, we need to go back into history for a while. Until Shelikhov died, he managed to significantly (in the first 3 years alone - 20 times) increase his capital. At first, fur was mined in Alaska, which was highly valued not only in Russia, but also abroad.In 1799, his son-in-law, chamberlain and part-time count, founded the Russian-American Company (in the likeness of the East India Company). It also included members imperial family. By decree of Paul the First, the right to govern Alaska was transferred to the company. The territory even had a flag and an armed fleet.
So who gave Alaska to America - Catherine or Alexander? When gold was discovered on the territory, American prospectors flocked there. The Russian Empire was not ready for confrontation, but it did not want to give up Alaska so easily.
The idea of selling it first arose from Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, Governor-General of V. Siberia. The proposal was made strictly secret, before the start Crimean War. In 1853, the governor conveyed the idea in the form of a note to Emperor Nicholas the First. In the letter, the general described in detail the importance of improving relations with the United States and strengthening positions on Far East.
Then the idea was supported by Konstantin Romanov, the emperor's brother. Alexander II approved this proposal, and an agreement between the countries was signed. Alaska was sold for only $7.5 million. Payment to Russia was sent in gold scrolls by sea. However, the ship sank near St. Petersburg.
When the question arises which king gave Alaska to America, for some reason many people are sure that it was Catherine. There is even a story that the empress did not know Russian well and entrusted the drafting of the agreement to her confidant. And he, instead of transferring Alaska to America “forever,” wrote “forever” and it turned out that forever. Other people associate this story with Catherine because of the famous song of the Lyube group. However, history refutes the empress's participation.
If we take into account the year in which Alaska was sold, then Catherine did not enter into any contracts at that time. Documents appeared only under Alexander II, which is officially confirmed by history.
In what year was Alaska given to America?
So, in what year did Alaska go to America? The official date for the transfer of territories is 1867. It was then that papers were signed between the two countries. Then the American flag began to wave in Alaska. The lands began to be considered an American colony. If we consider in what year Alaska became an American colony, then this date is 1959.Negotiations on the transfer of land began in December 1866. Then a “special meeting” was held at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Alexander II was also present at this meeting. After all issues were resolved, the agreement was signed on March 30 (according to the old calculation - the 18th) 1867. The official transfer of Russian territories took place on October 18 of the same year. The end of the deal was reached after receiving a check from the United States for $7.2 million. This happened in the summer of 1968.
Why did they give Alaska to America?
Why they gave Alaska to America - still everything possible reasons don't sound intelligible. There are several options. The origins of the company that ruled Alaska were merchants from two provinces. They asked the empress for an interest-free loan to use this money to develop the land. However, Catherine refused, as she was entirely occupied with what is now Crimea.Then the company received the right to a monopoly, but already under Paul I. The cession of land took place in secret from the Russian-American company. The approval of the government after the letter from the emperor's brother was already considered a regular formality. It is interesting that this paper with the proposal to cede Alaska was written 10 years before the fact.
When Russia gave Alaska to America, it was simply a cession of territory for one century. Russia never received money for the sale, nor did it receive dividends for the use of the territories. It turns out that the Americans simply took away Alaska in a cunning way. Moreover, they took advantage of the time when Russian Empire there were many problems, and she was not ready to defend distant lands with war.
It is interesting that the Russian side does not have any purchase and sale documents. The reason was a strange clause (when transferring lands to America) that the entire archive (concerning the disputed territories) should also go into its use. What arguments did the emperor’s brother put forward for the empire to get rid of these lands:
1. Konstantin Nikolaevich was part of geographical society. He began to argue that Alaska is located too far from Russian territories. However, Chukotka, Kamchatka and Sakhalin are not closer, but it was Russian America that was chosen.
2. The second argument was that the company that owns Alaska is suffering from unprofitable land. There is supposedly no profit from them. However, there is documentary evidence that there were still incomes (although not fabulous).
3. The third argument is an empty treasury. This was true. However, the $7.2 million for which Alaska was ceded could not fill the empty niche. At that time, 500 million rubles were required to fill the budget. The amount of 7.2 million dollars was approximately equal to only 10 Russian million. In addition, the empire also owed 1.5 billion. Then it is completely unclear why they would conclude such an unprofitable deal with America.
4. A fairly compelling argument could be considered starting a war that the empire could not cope with in order to retain the lands of Alaska. However, in 1854 the war was waged in several directions at once - in the Crimea, in the Far East, in the Baltic. The Empire successfully repelled the British and French squadrons in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In 1863 Civil War in America and international conflict and were stopped altogether.
The idea that originated with Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, Governor-General of V. Siberia, led to the writing of a letter to the emperor. In the message, the result of the reasoning sounded in the form of a proposal to cede overseas possessions to America. The general was sure that this issue would arise sooner or later.
If the Russian Empire does not agree to such a compromise, then the lands will still be taken away, since it will not be able to protect them. It turns out that if you close the deal now, you can even make money on it.
At that time, approximately 800 Russians, 1900 Creoles and almost 5 thousand Aleuts actually lived in Alaska. 40 thousand Indians also settled in the territories. However, they did not recognize Russian power. For an area of 1.5 million km², Russians were indeed in a large minority.
After such calculations, the St. Petersburg authorities treated Muravyov’s letter very loyally. The general's proposals began to be carefully studied and calculated. The empty treasury also spurred a positive decision.
Perhaps the Russian Empire hoped that after the cession of the territory of Alaska, relations between the countries would improve. This argument would be the most naive. At that time, Russia did not have a common border with the Americans, and even if we concluded a purchase and sale transaction, it would be much more profitable with the British. True, after the territories passed to the United States, almost friendly relations were established for some time. However, as history has shown - not for long.
The ceded territories included not only the entire peninsula, but also 10 miles of coastline in southern Alaska along the coast of British Columbia. Many islands were included in the treaty (Aleutian, Bering Sea and many others).
At the same time, all archives and property located on the former Russian territory, as well as documents of historical and legal value.
December 1868. There is a robbery in New York. Treasury Secretary Robert Walker was robbed of $16,000 by unknown people right on the street—a gigantic sum at that time. Newspapers immediately become interested in where a civil servant gets that kind of money?
Corruption scandal
Walker was known for passionately campaigning in the press and in the corridors of power for the purchase of the Alaska Peninsula from Russia. A special Congressional commission is also investigating, after which a huge corruption scandal erupts in America.
I have in my hands a list of bribe takers identified by a special commission of the Congress of the United States of America.
All of them, for a certain reward, somehow intervened in the process of buying and selling Alaska.
So, 10 members of Congress received a bribe totaling $73,300. About 40 thousand are owners and editors of American newspapers, and more than 20 thousand are lawyers. But who gave them these bribes, and for what?
It is noteworthy that in the midst of the American corruption scandal, something unusual is happening in Russia. The man who signed the treaty with the Americans on the cession of Alaska, the former Russian ambassador to Washington, Edward Stekl, is literally fleeing the country.
Circumstances of the Russian Empire selling its territory to the Americans
At the end of March 1867, editors of St. Petersburg newspapers received a message from the United States via the Atlantic telegraph. It says that Russia ceded Alaska to America. The editors are sure that this is an outrageous rumor spread by the Americans. And this is exactly how this news is presented in newspaper releases. But soon the information is confirmed: Russia really sold its lands to America and did it in such a way that almost everyone was completely unaware high-ranking officials Petersburg, as well as the rulers of Russian settlements in Alaska itself.
In the Russian Empire, only six people know about the sale of the peninsula. They were the ones who made this historic decision five months earlier.
December 16, 1866. Russian Empire, city of St. Petersburg. The meeting in the main hall of the Foreign Ministry is scheduled for one o'clock in the afternoon. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Gorchakov, the Minister of Finance, Reitern, the head of the Naval Ministry, Vice Admiral Krabbe, and, finally, the Tsar’s brother gather in the hall. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. The last to enter was Emperor Alexander II himself.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Negotiations on the sale of Alaska and all aspects related to the discussion, both in American ruling circles and in circles close to Alexander II, were part of a secret process at that time. This must be understood very well. Negotiations and all decisions were made in complete secrecy.
After a short discussion, the Russian Ambassador to America, Edward Stoeckl, who was present in the hall, was instructed to inform the US government that Russia is ready to cede Alaska to them.
None of the meeting participants object to the sale.
Secret meeting that decided the fate of Alaska
The meeting that decided the fate of Alaska was so secret that no minutes were taken. We could find a mention of him only in the diary of Alexander II, there are only two lines:
At one o'clock in the afternoon Prince Gorchakov has a meeting on the matter of the American company. It was decided to sell to the United States.
Most likely, the country's leadership made the decision to sell Alaska in the strictest confidence, because it did not want to prematurely advertise the news about the alienation of as much as 6% of Russian territory. After all, in national history there has never been such a precedent. But this whole story was kept secret for many other reasons.
Immediately after this meeting, Russian Ambassador Stekl leaves for the United States. He is tasked not only with informing the American government of Russia’s readiness to cede Alaska, but also with conducting all negotiations on behalf of the Russian monarch.
Edward Andreevich Stekl. Russian diplomat, Belgian by birth, who had no Russian roots and was married to an American. This very mysterious character played one of the main roles in the history of the sale of Russian America. Many historians come to the conclusion that while in the service of Russia, Stekl actually worked on two fronts.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Doctor of Economic Sciences, Chief Researcher Institute of USA and Canada RAS
Probably, Russia needed some person who was well versed and oriented in American affairs. This need for such a representative also had its own reverse side, because somewhere, starting from the very beginning of his diplomatic activities, Steckl actually pursued a line that was aimed at the interests of the United States of America.
In the USA, Stekl asks US Secretary of State William Seward for an urgent secret meeting, at which he informs him of the Russian emperor’s decision on Alaska, but at the same time emphasizes that the official proposal to purchase the peninsula must come from the American side. The Secretary of State, delighted by Stekl's visit, promises to talk with the President in the near future. But when the ambassador and the secretary of state meet a few days later, it turns out that President Johnson is not in the mood to buy Alaska, he has no time for it right now.
Alexander Petrov
The Civil War in the United States, a bloody civil war, has just ended. When the state, I want to emphasize this so that it is understood, it was torn apart by internal contradictions. Is it to Alaska? When the world was falling apart over the question of whether slavery would continue or not. What to do with the southerners? What to do with the northerners? Herculean efforts were made within the United States to preserve the country.
Seward and Steckle are not at all embarrassed by President Johnson's position on Alaska. These two diplomats are determined to get the deal done no matter what. Their goal is to work together to ensure that high circles The United States wanted to buy Alaska - this harsh land that Russian pioneers had been developing for decades at the cost of their own lives.
History of Alaska: discovery of the territory by Russian travelers
At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Russian travelers persistently moved to the East. Peter I, who sent them to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, is haunted by the unknown land located east of Chukotka. Whether it is the American continent or not, Peter will never know.
Russian ships under the command of Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov would reach Alaska after the death of the autocrat in the summer of 1741.
Vladimir Kolychev
Peter's plan was to open America in order to continue to develop relations with, say, Spain (it was known that it was here, on the Pacific coast, Californian Spain). Both China and Japan were of great interest to Peter I. The instructions were given to the head of the expedition, Bering and Chirikov, to look for some more or less precious metals during, say, the exploration of this coastline and a possible landing on the shore...
“Alaska” comes from the Indian word “alasakh” - “whale place”. But it is not whales and precious metals that ultimately attract dozens of Russian merchants to the peninsula.
But this is what interested Russian merchants in Alaska from the very beginning: the skins of the sea beaver that lives there - the sea otter.
This fur is the thickest in the world: there are up to 140 thousand hairs per square centimeter. In Tsarist Russia, sea otter fur was valued no less than gold - one skin cost as much as 300 rubles, about 6 times more expensive than elite Arabian horse. Sea otter fur was in particular demand among the richest Chinese mandarins.
The first person who proposed not just to extract furs in Alaska, but to firmly establish a foothold here, was the merchant Grigory Shelikhov.
Thanks to his efforts, Russian settlements and a permanent mission appeared on the peninsula Orthodox Church. Alaska was Russian for 125 years. During this time, the colonists developed only a small part of the vast territory.
Alexander Petrov
Chief Researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
There were indeed, one might say, heroes of their time. Because they not only ruled, but they managed to interact peacefully with the local population. There were, of course, armed clashes. But if you imagine tens of thousands of natives and a handful of Russians scattered over vast distances, the forces are, to put it mildly, unequal. What did they bring with them? They brought with them culture, education, new attitudes towards the aborigines...
Alaska is inhabited by several tribes. But most quickly, Russian settlers find a common language with the Aleuts and Kodiaks, who have unique skills in catching sea beaver. There are few Russian women in these harsh regions, and colonists often marry local girls. Orthodox priests also help unite Russians with aborigines. One of them, Saint Innocent, was subsequently canonized.
He arrived in Alaska as a simple priest, leaving a good parish in Irkutsk when he learned that there was no one to perform divine services in Russian America.
Later, when he was Metropolitan of Moscow, he recalled: “What I experienced on Unalaska - even now I get goosebumps, remembering it in a Moscow house by the fireplace. And I had to go to dog sledding, sail on small kayak boats. We sailed on the ocean for 5-6, 8 hours, and there big waves..." And so Saint Innocent traveled around the islands; he never refused to visit this place.
Creation of the Russian-American Company by Paul I
In 1799, the new Russian autocrat Paul I decides to restore order in Russian America and take control of the merchants there. He signs the Decree on the creation of the Russian-American Company in the image of the British East India Company.
In fact, the first monopoly joint-stock company in history appears in the country, which is controlled not by anyone, but by the Emperor himself.
Alexey Istomin
The Russian company acted in a kind of dual state: on the one hand, it was actually an agent of the state, and on the other hand, it was also, as it were, a privately owned institution.
In the 40s of the 19th century, the shares of the Russian-American Company were among the most profitable in the entire empire. Alaska generates enormous profits. How could this land be ceded to the United States?
The first people in Russia and the USA to talk about the transfer of Alaska
The idea of selling Alaska was first voiced in government circles by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky.
In 1853 he wrote to St. Petersburg:
The Russian Empire does not have the necessary means to protect these territories from US claims.
And he offered to cede Alaska to them.
Yuri Bulatov
A certain threat, a hypothetical threat, has existed since the creation of the United States of America. The threat that all lands located on the territory of the North American continent must enter this structure, which began to call itself the North American United States. The Monroe Doctrine set itself the task of pushing Europeans out of the American continent.
The first person in the United States to propose annexing Alaska would be Secretary of State Seward.
The same one with whom the Russian envoy Stekl will subsequently negotiate the sale of Russian America.
Alexey Istomin
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay RAS
The idea of selling Alaska did appear in the USA. That is, Stekl, the Russian envoy to the United States, subsequently reported that the Americans had been offering to sell Alaska for several years. There was a refusal on our part; we were not yet ready for this idea.
This map was created 37 years before the sale of Alaska, in 1830This map was created 37 years before the sale of Alaska, in 1830.
It clearly shows that Russia completely dominates the North Pacific Ocean. This is the so-called “Pacific horseshoe”, it is ours. And the United States, if you please, is at this time about 2.5 times smaller than it is now.
But within 15 years, the United States will annex Texas, after another 2 years it will annex Upper California from Mexico, and 4 years before the purchase of Alaska it will include Arizona. American States expanded mainly due to the fact that millions of square kilometers were bought for next to nothing.
As history has shown, Alaska has become one of the most valuable acquisitions for Americans, and perhaps the most valuable.
Reasons for Russia's sale of Alaska
The Crimean War pushed us to sell Alaska. Then Russia had to stand alone against three powers at once - Great Britain, France and Ottoman Empire. The main supporter of the sale of Russian America would be Alexander II's brother, Grand Duke Constantine, who headed the naval department.
Vladimir Kolychev
President of the Moscow Historical and Educational Society "Russian America"
He pursued his own policy. He had to create in the Pacific Ocean, in the Baltic, in the White Sea, in the Black Sea, he had enough worries. That is, for Prince Constantine, of course, Russian America was most likely like a headache.
Grand Duke Constantine insists that Alaska must be sold before the Americans take it by force. At that moment, the United States already knew about the gold found on the peninsula. In St. Petersburg they understand: sooner or later, American gold miners will come to Alaska with guns, and it is unlikely that several hundred Russian colonists will be able to defend the peninsula; it is better to sell it.
However, some modern historians are sure: the arguments of Grand Duke Constantine were unfounded. The civil war-torn United States would not be able to capture Alaska for another 50 years.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences
There were no military or economic forces in America, it was all exaggerated. Subsequent events clearly showed this. It was here that Stekl played, if you like, the role of such a bluff, disinformation, as they say today, fake news, in order to influence a change in the views of the Russian leadership.
It turns out that the Russian envoy in Washington, Edward Stoeckl, acting in the interests of supporters of American expansion, is deliberately encouraging the Russian leadership to abandon Alaska.
The Russian envoy Edward Steckl, in his insistence on getting rid of Alaska, goes so far as to write in his next telegram to St. Petersburg:
If the United States doesn't want to pay for Alaska, let them take it for free.
Alexander II did not like these words, and in his response letter he angrily reprimanded the presumptuous envoy:
Please do not say a single word about a concession without compensation. I consider it reckless to expose American greed to temptation.
Apparently, the Emperor guessed whose field his Washington envoy was actually playing on.
Secret negotiations: trade and the final amount of the deal
Despite the fact that the US leadership has not yet approved the purchase of Alaska, Russian Ambassador Stekl and American Secretary of State Seward begin to secretly bargain.
Seward offers $5 million. Stekl says that such a sum will not suit Alexander II, and proposes to increase it to 7 million. Seward is trying to reduce the price. After all, the higher it is, the more difficult it will be to convince the government to make this purchase. But suddenly he unexpectedly agrees to the conditions of the Russian ambassador.
The final amount of the transaction is 7 million 200 thousand dollars in gold.
The true price and motives for buying and selling
When the amount of the transaction becomes known to the American Ambassador in St. Petersburg, Cassius Clay, he will be pleasantly surprised, which he will inform Secretary of State Seward about in a reply letter.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Clay replied: “I admire your brilliant work. According to my understanding, the minimum price for this region is 50 million dollars in gold, and I am even amazed that such a transaction took place on these terms.” I quote almost verbatim his telegram or an excerpt from his message, which he sent to the State Department. Thus, even the Americans themselves at that time estimated the cost of Alaska as 7 times greater...
But how could it be so cheap? The fact is that the purchase and sale of Alaska occurs in conditions where both parties - both the seller and the buyer - are in debt. The treasuries of Russia and the United States are virtually empty. And this is not the only way the two states are similar at that time.
IN mid-19th centuries, it was believed that the Russian Empire and the United States were developing on a parallel course.
Both Christian powers are also solving the same problem - liberation from slavery. On the eve of the sale of Alaska, mirror events took place on both sides of the ocean.
In 1865, President Lincoln was fatally shot in the head in the United States.
A year later, an attempt was made on the life of Alexander II in Russia, who miraculously survived.
The new American President Johnson, as a sign of support, sends a telegram to the Russian Emperor, and after it a delegation led by Deputy Secretary of the US Navy Gustav Fox.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The Tsar receives the American delegation, they tour Russia, they are enthusiastically greeted everywhere - by the governors and the people. And this trip was even extended - the American delegation visited Kostroma, which at that time was considered the homeland where the Romanovs came from. And then the concept or idea of the idea arises that a union of two states has taken shape...
The Russian Empire at that time was in dire need of allies against Great Britain. But has the country’s leadership really agreed to cede Russian America to the United States in order to gain their support in the future? Historians are sure that the main initiator of the sale of Alaska, Grand Duke Constantine, had another motive.
Alexander Petrov
Chief Researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
If we knew what was in Konstantin Nikolaevich’s head, we could close the study of Russian America for a certain time and say: “The problem is solved.”
The puzzle has not yet come together.
It is possible that the hidden motives of Grand Duke Constantine were written on the pages of his diary, which has survived to this day. But the pages that were supposed to describe the period of the sale of Alaska have mysteriously disappeared. And this is not the only loss of important documents.
After Russian America goes to the United States, all archives of the Russian-American Company will disappear from the peninsula.
Yuri Bulatov
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty International relations MGIMO
The Americans, as they say, packed in advance real reasons purchase of this territory, the true reasons and sales, including on our part, when in the agreement related to the sale of Alaska there was a clause, the essence of which was that all archives, all documents that were in the Russian-American company at that time , everything must be handed over entirely to the Americans. It was obvious that there was something to hide.
Signing and ratification of the treaty for the sale of Alaska
March 1867. Washington. Russian envoy Stekl sends an urgent encryption message to St. Petersburg. He is in a hurry to report on his agreements with Secretary of State Seward, sparing no money on a very expensive service - a transatlantic telegraph. For about 270 words, Stekl pays an astronomical sum: 10 thousand dollars in gold.
Here is the decrypted text of this telegram:
Alaska is sold within the boundaries of 1825. Orthodox churches remain the property of parishes. Russian troops are withdrawing as soon as possible. Residents of the colony could remain and enjoy all the rights of American citizens.
A response message is being prepared in St. Petersburg:
The Emperor agrees to these terms.
As soon as Stekl receives final consent to the deal from St. Petersburg, he goes to the American Secretary of State Seward and finds him playing cards. Seeing Glass, Seward immediately stops playing and, despite the late evening, offers to sign an agreement for the sale of Alaska immediately.
Glass is at a loss: how can we do this, since it’s night outside? Seward smiles in response and says, if you gather your people immediately, then I will gather mine.
Why was the United States Secretary of State in such a hurry to sign the treaty? Did you want to put an end to this matter quickly? Or was he afraid that the Russians would change their minds?
Around midnight, lights come on in the windows of the State Department. Diplomats work all night to draft a historical document called the Treaty of the Cession of Alaska. At 4 o'clock in the morning it was signed by Steckle and Seward.
Yuri Bulatov
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at MGIMO
What's surprising here? First of all, we are talking about the fact that the level of signatories, of course, does not correspond to the solution of such a very serious task. On the American side - the Secretary of State, on our side - the Ambassador. You know, ambassadors in the past and present will sign such documents, then our territory will quickly shrink...
Due to the rush, no one pays attention to this flagrant violation of diplomatic protocol. Seward and Steckle do not want to waste a minute, because the treaty still has to be ratified in the Senate - without this it simply will not come into force. Any delay can ruin the deal.
Alexey Istomin
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay RAS
They understood that if they were a little late, a powerful campaign against this deal would begin.
To ratify the treaty as quickly as possible, Seward and Steckle act quickly and decisively. Seward conducts secret negotiations with the right people, and Stekl, with the approval of the Russian Emperor, gives them bribes.
Alexey Istomin
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay RAS
The Russian side, through Stekl, gave bribes, firstly, to the media in the person of their leaders; secondly, to congressmen so that they vote in favor of this decision. Which is what was done. And it took about 160 thousand dollars in gold. Quite a large amount.
Ambassador Stekl will subsequently withhold the money for bribes from the millions that the Americans will pay for Alaska. Even a check has been preserved, which was written out in the name of Edward Stoeckl.
Whose money was used to buy Alaska?
Judging by the date, the United States settled accounts with the Russian Empire only 10 months after ratification of the treaty. Why did the Americans delay payment? It turns out that there was no money in the treasury. But where did they get them from? Many facts indicate that Alaska was purchased with money from the Rothschild family, who acted through their representative, banker August Belmont.
August Belmont (1816 - 1890) - American banker and politician of the 19th century. Before moving to the USA in 1837, he served in the Rothschild officeYuri Bulatov
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at MGIMO
August Belmont is one of the talented financiers, according to the Rothschilds for whom he worked, who headed one of the banks in Frankfurt. Closer to the date of the transaction, he moves to the United States, establishes his own bank in New York and becomes a consultant to the President of the United States on financial and economic issues.
According to the agreement, the US authorities must pay Russia in Washington, but the check indicates New York, the city in which Belmont opens the Rothschild bank. All monetary transactions in Alaska involve accounts exclusively with private banks. However, in such serious settlements between two countries, as a rule, it is not private, but public financial organizations that appear. Strange, isn't it?
Yuri Bulatov
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at MGIMO
The Americans, when they bought Alaska, because until 1959 they did not determine its status - what kind of territory is it, how should it be viewed? She worked there both under the military department and within the civil departments. What to do with it, how to manage it? The Americans never got around to Alaska, but Rothschild, naturally, took advantage of his position. After all, on the eve of the sale of Alaska, both gold and oil were known... Therefore, the Rothschild investments paid off many times over - that’s for sure.
An interesting coincidence: the Russian Empire at that time was also closely connected with the Rothschilds through financial ties. Russia took a loan from them in order to patch up holes in the economy, undermined by the Crimean War and the abolition of serfdom. The amount of this loan was many times higher than the price for which Russian America was sold. Or maybe the Russian Empire gave Alaska to the Rothschilds to pay off the huge national debt? Ultimately, Russia received 7 million 200 thousand in gold for the peninsula. But what is their fate?
Where did the millions from the sale go?
A document recently discovered in the State Historical Archives has put an end to the debate about where the millions from the sale of Alaska went.
Before this, there were persistent rumors that Russia did not receive anything at all from the Americans, because the ship carrying gold was caught in a storm and sank. A version was also put forward that Russian officials led by Grand Duke Constantine took all the proceeds for themselves.
So, thanks to this document, it turned out that the money from the sale of Alaska was credited Russian Foundation construction railways.
The document, found by historian Alexander Petrov in the Historical Archive of St. Petersburg, is a small note. To whom it is addressed and who its author is is unknown.
For the Russian possessions in North America ceded to the North American States, 11,362,481 rubles were received from the said States. 94 kopecks Of the number 11,362,481 rubles. 94 kopecks spent abroad on the purchase of accessories for the railways: Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazansko-Kozlovskaya, Moscow-Ryazanskaya, etc. 10,972,238 rubles. 4 kopecks The rest are 390,243 rubles. 90 kopecks arrived in cash.
Alexey Istomin
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay RAS
The money from the sale of Alaska went, first of all, to the purchase of railway equipment for the construction of railways leading from Moscow in radial directions, including the Kursk Railway. The same road that, if it had existed during the Crimean War, then perhaps we would not have surrendered Sevastopol. Because it was possible to transfer so many troops along it that the situation in Crimea, a strategic war, would simply change qualitatively.
A note on the expenditure of funds from the sale of Alaska was found among the papers on the remuneration of those who took part in signing the treaty with the Americans. According to the documents, the Order of the White Eagle and 20 thousand in silver were received by the envoy Stekl from the Emperor. However, after the sale of Alaska to Russia, he did not stay long. Did he leave on his own? civil service or was fired is unknown. Stekl spent the rest of his life in Paris, bearing the stigma of a man who sold Russian land.
Vladimir Vasiliev
Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The further fate of Glass once again emphasizes the whole background and all those true driving forces and the reasons for this deal, which was clearly very subtly and skillfully carried out at that time by the ruling circles of the United States of America, which skillfully took advantage of the sentimental or naive ideas of the Russian leadership that it was possible to build a union of two Christian peoples, and, in general, caused , so to speak, both economic and, if you like, moral, as we see 150 years later, geopolitical, very serious damage for Russia.
American Alaska – former Russian land
October 18, 1867, USA. A ceremony of transferring Alaska to the United States is being held in Novo-Arkhangelsk. All residents of the city gather on the main square. The Russian flag begins to be lowered to the beat of drums and 42 salvos from naval guns. Suddenly an unexpected incident occurs: the flag clings to the flagpole and remains hanging on it.
Metropolitan of Kaluga and Bobrovsky, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
Everyone noticed that there was a problem; they couldn’t easily lower the Russian flag. And they took this, that this was a sign that we were staying with Russia, that this would not happen, they didn’t even believe it yet...
After Alaska becomes American, the rapid oppression of the indigenous people will begin. As a result, the Tlingit Indians, who were previously at enmity with the Russians, will bury the hatchet and begin to convert en masse to Orthodoxy, just so as not to accept the religion of the Americans.
Vladimir Kolychev
President of the Moscow Historical and Educational Society "Russian America"
I know that at the entrance to, say, a store or bar, it was written “Whites Only.” The Protestant school prohibited the use of the Russian language, which was used by both the Aleuts and the Tlingits in part, and it also prohibited its native language. If you spoke Russian, then the teacher immediately sent you a message.
Soon after the sale, a gold rush would begin in Alaska. Gold miners will mine several thousand times more gold than the American government once paid to purchase the peninsula.
Today, 150 million tons of oil are produced here annually. Fish and expensive crabs are caught off the coast of Alaska. The Peninsula is the largest supplier of timber and furs among all US states. For a century and a half now, Alaska has not Russian land, but Russian speech is still heard here. Especially in Orthodox churches, the number of which has doubled since the times of Russian America.
Alexander Petrov
Chief Researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian language is still preserved, Russian churches and Russian culture are preserved. This is a phenomenon that we are still trying to comprehend. It is unique in world history.
A century and a half after the sale of Alaska, we can conclude that the Russian government took this step, guided primarily by political considerations. Alexander II was firmly convinced that by selling Alaska to the Americans, he was strengthening the alliance between our countries.
But, as history has shown, the Emperor's good intentions did not come true. The Americans made unimportant allies. The first thing they did when they found themselves in Alaska was to station their military units there.
For some reason, most people believe that Catherine 2 sold Alaska to the United States. But this is a fundamentally wrong opinion. This North American territory was transferred to the United States almost a hundred years after the death of the great Russian empress. So, let's figure out when and to whom Alaska was sold and, most importantly, who did it and under what circumstances.
Russian Alaska
The Russians first entered Alaska in 1732. It was an expedition led by Mikhail Gvozdev. In 1799, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was founded specifically for the development of America, headed by Grigory Shelekhov. A significant part of this company belonged to the state. The goals of its activities were the development of new territories, trade, and fur fishing.
During the 19th century, the territory controlled by the company expanded significantly and at the time of the sale of Alaska to the United States amounted to more than 1.5 million square kilometers. The Russian population grew and numbered 2.5 thousand people. Fur fishing and trade provided good profits. But in relations with the local tribes, everything was far from rosy. So, in 1802, the Tlingit Indian tribe almost completely destroyed Russian settlements. They were saved only by a miracle, since by chance, just at that time, a Russian ship under the command of Yuri Lisyansky, possessing powerful artillery, which decided the course of the battle.
However, this was only an episode of a generally successful first for the Russian-American company. half of the 19th century century.
The beginning of problems
Significant problems with overseas territories began to appear during the Crimean War, which was difficult for the Russian Empire (1853-1856). By that time, income from trade and fur mining could no longer cover the costs of maintaining Alaska.
The first to sell it to the Americans was the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Nikolaevich Muravyov-Amursky. He did this in 1853, arguing that Alaska is a natural zone of US influence, and sooner or later it will still end up in the hands of the Americans, and Russia should concentrate its colonization efforts in Siberia. Moreover, he insisted on transferring this territory to the United States so that it would not fall into the hands of the British, who threatened it from Canada and were at that time in a state open war with the Russian Empire. His fears were partially justified, since already in 1854 England attempted to capture Kamchatka. In connection with this, a proposal was even made to fictitiously transfer the territory of Alaska to the United States in order to protect it from the aggressor.
But until then, Alaska needed to be maintained, and the Russian Empire of the second half of the 19th century was not financially able to support such a program. Therefore, even if Alexander II knew that in a hundred years they would begin to extract oil in huge quantities there, it is unlikely that he would have changed his decision to sell this territory. Not to mention the fact that there was a high probability that Alaska would be taken from Russia by force, and due to the remoteness in the distance, it would not be able to defend this distant territory. So it is quite possible that the government simply chose the lesser evil.
Rental version
There is an alternative version according to which the Russian Empire did not sell Alaska to the United States, but simply leased it to the States. The term of the deal, according to this scenario, was 99 years. The USSR did not demand the return of these territories when the deadline came, due to the fact that it abandoned the legacy of the Russian Empire, including its debts.
So, is Alaska sold or leased? The version of temporary use has few supporters among serious specialists. It is based on a supposedly safe copy of the contract in Russian. But it is common knowledge that it existed only in English and French. So, most likely, this is just speculation by some pseudo-historians. Anyway real facts, which would allow us to seriously consider the version of the lease, on this moment not available.
Why Ekaterina?
But still, why did the version that Catherine sold Alaska become so popular, although it is clearly wrong? After all, under this great empress, overseas territories had just begun to be developed, and there could be no talk of any sale then. Moreover, Alaska was sold in 1867. Catherine died in 1796, that is, 71 years before this event.
The myth that Catherine sold Alaska was born relatively long ago. True, it refers to the sale to Great Britain, not the United States. However, this still has nothing to do with the real situation. The postulate that it was the great Russian Empress who made this fatal deal was finally entrenched in the minds of the majority of our compatriots after the release of the song by the Lyube group “Don’t be a fool, America...”.
Of course, stereotypes are a very tenacious thing, and once a myth reaches the people, it can begin to live its own life, and then it is very difficult to separate truth from fiction without special training and knowledge.
Results
So, in the course of a little research about the details of the sale of Alaska to the United States, we dispelled a number of myths.
Firstly, Catherine II did not sell overseas territories to anyone, which only began to be seriously explored under her, and the sale was made by Emperor Alexander II. In what year was Alaska sold? Certainly not in 1767, but in 1867.
Secondly, the Russian government was well aware of what exactly it was selling and what mineral reserves Alaska had. But despite this, the sale was regarded as a successful deal.
Thirdly, there is an opinion that if Alaska had not been sold in 1867, it would still be part of Russia. But this is too unlikely, given the significant distances to central parts our country and the proximity of North American claimants to this territory.
Should we regret the loss of Alaska? More likely no than yes. The maintenance of this territory cost Russia much more than it received from it at the time of sale or could have in the foreseeable future. Moreover, it is far from a fact that Alaska would have been retained and would still have remained Russian.
In 1867, Alaska ceased to be part of Russia. Until now, this page of Russian history is read diagonally by many, giving rise to a lot of myths. Like those that Catherine II sold Alaska, and Russia leased Alaska.
When?
The idea of selling Alaska to the United States was first expressed back in 1853 by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky.
He presented Nicholas I with a note in which he insisted on the need to sell Alaskan lands.
This, as Muravyov wrote, will allow Russia to concentrate its forces on strengthening its position in eastern Asia, and will also improve relations with the United States and allow countries to be friends against England. Muravyov also wrote that over time it will be difficult for Russia to defend such remote territories.
The son of Nikolai Pavlovich, Emperor Alexander II, was “ripe” before the deal. The signing of the treaty took place on March 30, 1867 in Washington.
For what?
Why did Russia sell Alaska? Several main reasons for the transaction can be identified.
1) Geopolitical. The geopolitical reason was outlined by Muravyov-Amursky: it was important for Russia to maintain and strengthen its positions in the Far East. Britain's ambitions for hegemony in the Pacific also caused concern. Back in 1854, the RAC, fearing an attack by the Anglo-French fleet on Novo-Arkhangelsk, entered into a fictitious agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco for the sale of all its property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars for three years, including land holdings in North America. Later, a formal agreement between the RAC and the Hudson's Bay Company was concluded on the mutual neutralization of their territorial possessions in America.
2) Economic. Historians call one of the reasons for the sale of Alaska the lack of finances in the treasury of the Russian Empire. A year before the sale of Alaska, Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern sent a note to Alexander II in which he pointed out the need for strict savings, emphasizing that for the normal functioning of Russia a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles was required. in year. Even the lower limit of the amount of the transaction for the sale of Alaska, designated by Reutern at 5 million rubles, could cover only a third of the annual loan. Also, the state annually paid subsidies to the RAC; the sale of Alaska saved Russia from these expenses.
3) Logistics. This reason for the sale of Alaska was also indicated in Muravyov-Amursky’s note. “Now,” wrote the Governor-General, “with the invention and development of railroads, we must be more convinced than before that the North American States will inevitably spread throughout North America, and we cannot help but bear in mind that early or later they will have to cede our North American possessions.” Railways to the East of Russia had not yet been built and the Russian Empire was clearly inferior to the states in the speed of logistics to the North American region.
4) Resources. Oddly enough, one of the reasons for selling Alaska was its resources. On the one hand, there is their disadvantage - valuable sea otters were destroyed by 1840, on the other, paradoxically, their presence - oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, and the “hunting season” for Alaskan gold was beginning on the part of American prospectors. The Russian government quite rightly feared that American troops would follow the prospectors there. Russia was not ready for war.
5) Creeping colonization. In 1857, ten years before the sale of Alaska, Russian diplomat Eduard Stekl sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg in which he outlined a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the Mormon religious sect from the United States to Russian America. American President J. Buchanan himself hinted at this to him in a joking manner.
Joking aside, Stekl was seriously afraid of the mass migration of sectarians, since they would have to offer military resistance. The “creeping colonization” of Russian America really took place. Already in the early 1860s, British smugglers, despite the prohibitions of the colonial administration, began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of the Alexander Archipelago. Sooner or later this could lead to tension and military conflicts.
Who?
Who sold Alaska? Only six people knew about the proposed sale of North American territories: Alexander II, Konstantin Romanov, Alexander Gorchakov (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mikhail Reutern (Minister of Finance), Nikolai Krabbe (Minister of Naval Affairs) and Edaur Steckl (Russian Envoy to the USA). The fact that Alaska was sold to America became known only two months after the transaction was completed.
Interestingly, Russia never legally owned Alaska,
she was in the department of the RAC. However, the deal to sell Alaska passed by the Russian-American company. None of its representatives were aware of the decision made at the “secret mass” of Alexander II.
Rent?
IN Lately It is often written that Alaska was not sold to America, but leased for 90 years. The lease supposedly expired in 1957. However, Alaska was not leased. And it was not sold either. The text of the document on the transfer of Alaska to the United States does not contain the word sell. There is a verb to sed, which translates as “to give in,” that is, the Russian emperor transferred to the United States the rights to physically use the agreed upon territories. Moreover, the period for which the territories are transferred is not discussed in the agreement.
Glass
One of the most active participants in the sale (we will still call the deal so as to avoid confusion) was Eduard Stekl, who in 1854 took the post of envoy of the Russian Empire to the states. Previously, he served as chargé d'affaires Russian embassy in Washington (since 1850).
Steckl was married to an American and had extensive connections in the American political elite.
Stekl received a check in the amount of 7 million 035 thousand dollars - of the original 7.2 million he kept 21 thousand for himself, and distributed 144 thousand as bribes to senators who voted for ratification of the treaty.
For the transaction, Stekl received a reward of $25,000 and an annual pension of 6,000 rubles. He came to St. Petersburg for a short time, but was forced to leave for Paris - he was not liked in the highest Russian society.
Where's the money?
Finally, main question: Where did the money for the sale of Alaska go? 7 million dollars were transferred to London by bank transfer, from London to St. Petersburg on the Orkney barque by sea They brought the gold bars purchased for this amount.
When converting first into pounds and then into gold, another 1.5 million was lost, but this was not the end of the misfortunes for Alaskan money. On July 16, 1868, the ship sank on the approach to St. Petersburg.
It is still unknown whether there was gold on the Orkney; it was not found during search operations. Insurance Company, which insured the ship and cargo, declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially compensated.
With all this, the State Historical Archive of the Russian Federation contains a document written by an unknown employee of the Ministry of Finance in the second half of 1868, in which it is written that “For the Russian possessions in North America ceded to the North American States, 11,362,481 rubles were received from the said States. 94 [cop.]. Of the number 11,362,481 rubles. 94 kopecks spent abroad on the purchase of accessories for the railways: Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazansko-Kozlovskaya, Moscow-Ryazan, etc. 10,972,238 rubles. 4 k. The rest are 390,243 rubles. 90 kopecks were received in cash.”
There are many myths and speculations surrounding Alaska that permeate even some serious media outlets, misleading people trying to understand the topic. However, there are no alternatives to history; there is only one true version, which is better known to anyone who wants to know at least a little about the path of their country. So who sold Alaska, or Alexander 2, and most importantly, why?
Nowadays there is a very widespread opinion that the sale of Alaska was a mistake by the Russian authorities of those times. However, it is enough to delve into the study of the circumstances and reasons for the deal between the United States and the Russian Empire and it becomes clear why this event happened and why the sale of the territory is the most logical and profitable solution for the country.
Colonization and trade
Let's start from afar, after the discovery of Alaska in 1732 and the arrival of Russian colonists, it almost immediately became a “fur” vein, a huge amount of sea otter fur was exported from the territories North America for sale. Later, this phenomenon was called “marine fur harvesting.” Most of the furs went to China, where they were exchanged for silk, porcelain, tea and other Asian curiosities, which were later sold to European countries and overseas.
Parallel to trade, the colonization of lands also took place, during which connections with the local population were established, not always successfully. The settlers and merchants were hindered by some indigenous tribes, who were not too happy about the invasion of their lands. Sometimes with carrots, and sometimes with sticks, the colonists nevertheless came to an understanding with the local residents and developed trade relations with them. The subject of trade was usually firearms. Some tribes accepted Orthodox faith, Aboriginal children are educated in schools together with the children of the colonists.
Background and reasons for sale
It would seem that everything is going as usual, new territories are bringing good income, trade relations are developing, settlements are being built. But it is worth remembering that the main resource exported from North America was fur. The sea otters, which served as a source of fur, were practically killed, which means that the funds flowing into the region did not pay off; the defense of the colonies had everything less sense, and merchant ships began to sail less and less.
From whom was protection required? The Russian Empire is already for a long time was in almost open confrontation with the British, whose colonies were located next door, on the territory of modern Canada. Following Britain's attempt to land troops in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War, the possibility of a military clash between the two empires on American soil was more real than ever.
Is the deal just a rash decision?
In 1854, a proposal for sale was first made, initiated by the United States. The possibility of the British capturing a significant piece of North America was not part of the plans of the US government. The deal was supposed to be a fiction for a short period of time, so that Britain would not strengthen its position on the continent. However Russian Empire managed to reach an agreement with the British colonies, and the deal did not come into force.
Later, in 1857, the proposal to sell Alaska was made again, this time from the Russian side. This time the main initiator was his younger brother, Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich. The resolution of the issue was postponed until 1862 until the expiration of trade privileges, however, in 1862 the deal also did not take place, there was a civil war in the United States. Finally, in 1866, at a meeting between Alexander, his brother and some ministers, a detailed discussion of the sale took place. A unanimous decision was made to sell the territory for no less than 5 million dollars in gold.
How was Alaska ultimately sold, and in what year, and for how much? In 1867, after a series of negotiations, the sale agreement was signed first by the American and then by the Russian side. The final cost is $7.2 million, the area of land sold is 1.5 million square kilometers.
Throughout the year, both parties settled various formalities, and some doubts were expressed about the feasibility of the deal. As a result, in May 1867, the treaty entered into legal force, in June letters were exchanged, and in October Alaska was finally and irrevocably transferred to America. The deal was completed more than 10 years after the first proposal - such a decision certainly cannot be called rash.
Conclusions without far-fetched myths
The story is known in all its details, the documents have been preserved and there is no doubt about their authenticity. Despite this, the deal is still surrounded by myths and legends that have no basis in fact. They are generated by rumors, Soviet propaganda of the times and other reasons that have no historical background. The vast majority of historians believe that Alaska was sold, not leased, for ninety-nine, one hundred, or one thousand years, and that payment for the deal was received in full rather than gone down with the ship.
In this way you can clearly trace the desire Russian authorities getting rid of Alaska for a number of very reasonable reasons. It was sold by Alexander, not Catherine, this myth appeared only thanks to the song of the Lyube group under Yeltsin, and historians know for sure which king sold Alaska.
Convicting Alexander for the sale also makes no sense; the country was in a very deplorable situation: the abolition of serfdom, war, and a number of reasons required measures to solve them. The sale of an unprofitable region located overseas, the existence of which most of the inhabitants of the then Russia did not even suspect, was a justified decision and no one high ranks did not cause mistrust.
No one suspected any gold in the depths of the cold region, and there are still disputes about the costs of its development in the United States. And the buyer, as many believe, of the gold mine was not very enthusiastic about the acquisition. Even today, Alaska is poorly developed: there are few roads, trains rarely run, and the population of the entire huge region is only 600 thousand people. There are many dark spots in history, but this is not one of them.