Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-4923787-20131012165847/@comment-32656-20131120115432

Sigh... Just because there is/was gold in Alaska does not mean that was part of it. Gold activities in Alaska were not part of the Klondike Rush. Different location and date. Simple.

The Brits and French opposed excessive Russian expansion at the expense of The Ottomans. Didn't want them to get too strong.

Is not "more plausible." Far less, in fact.

Main reason for the sale was because they considered it useless and needed the money desperately. Defense was a secondary concern.