Alaska Purchase

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alaska-purchase

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Alaska Purchase?586,412 square miles (1,518,800 km2)
2. What is the treaty ratification date?May 15, 1867
3. What is the effective date of sovereignty?October 18, 1867
4. Why did Russia sell Alaska to the United States?Russia sold Alaska because it was far away, hard to protect, and its fur trade was shrinking. The money from the sale helped Russia pay for other things.
5. How much did the United States pay for Alaska?The United States paid $7.2 million for Alaska, which is about 2 cents for every acre of land.

Russian Empire: The autocratic state that ruled Russia from 1721 until the 1917 revolution.
Crimean War: A conflict (1853-1856) that weakened Russia and influenced its decision to sell Alaska.
William H. Seward: The U.S. Secretary of State who was the chief architect and negotiator of the Alaska Purchase.
Eduard de Stoeckl: The Russian diplomat who represented the Russian Empire in the negotiations for the sale of Alaska.