Russian Alaska

Russian Alaska
In 1867 Secretary of State William Seward caved in to pressure from the Senate and House and abandoned his plan to purchase the Alaska Territory from Russia. $7.2 million was far too much to spend on such a Godforsaken icebox.

Oil
In the 1890s Russian prospectors found treasure troves of gold in the Alaskan territory. The Russian population in Alaska increased exponentially.

Cold War
During the Cold War, Russian Alaska was considered a tremendous threat to United States National security.