Question

Why didn't William H. Seward pursue the purchase of Alaska in the early 1860s?

A. The United States was in the middle of the Civil War.
B. He wasn't interested in purchasing Alaska until 1867.
C. Russia didn't want to sell Alaska.
D. All of the above.

Answer 1

A. The United States was in the middles of the Civil war

The looming U.S. Civil War delayed the sale, but after the war, Secretary of State William Seward quickly took up a renewed Russian offer and on March 30, 1867, agreed to a proposal from Russian Minister in Washington, Edouard de Stoeckl, to purchase Alaska for $7.2 million.