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Quiz about One Sweet Deal
Quiz about One Sweet Deal

One Sweet Deal Trivia Quiz


There have been many land deals in American history, but the purchase of Alaska stands out as one of the sweetest. What do you know about this event?

A photo quiz by ponycargirl. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
ponycargirl
Time
3 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
359,772
Updated
Aug 08 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
2066
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 45 (9/10), SueGoody (9/10), Guest 99 (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. When William H. Seward negotiated the sell of Alaska, public opinion was not very positive. In fact, the purchase was known as Seward's ________?

Answer: (Purchase is the key word!)
Question 2 of 10
2. What position did William H. Seward hold that gave him the opportunity to negotiate the Alaska purchase? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Discussions between Russia and the USA regarding a sale of the territory of Alaska first arose in 1859. However, no deal was signed until 1867. Why not? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. With what country was the Alaska purchase negotiated? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. One of the reasons that Alaska was sold was because its owner had fought in a costly war from 1853-56 near the Black Sea. What was the name of the war? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Once the United States purchased Alaska, a territory of approximately twice the size of what state was added to American territory. Which was it? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Russia to America, and is still celebrated in which month? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. At the time of the sale of Alaska, there were two larger towns that had been established to handle the valuable fur trade. One of the towns is known as Sitka today; what was it called at the time of the purchase? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The sale of Alaska for $7.2 million added 586,412 square miles of new territory to the United States. Approximately how much was paid per acre? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. It seems that it took a really great discovery in Alaska to make the American public appreciate William Seward's efforts. What was discovered there in 1896?

Answer: (One Word)

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Most Recent Scores
Today : Guest 45: 9/10
Today : SueGoody: 9/10
Today : Guest 99: 10/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 101: 8/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 66: 7/10
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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. When William H. Seward negotiated the sell of Alaska, public opinion was not very positive. In fact, the purchase was known as Seward's ________?

Answer: Folly

There were some people who believed the purchase of Alaska would bring great economic benefit to the United States, as well as a potentially new friend. There were others who hoped that purchasing Alaska would lead to the annexation of nearby British Columbia. Many, however, believed that it was an expensive price to pay for a territory that really had no apparent immediate benefit.

Please Note: There was only one name for the actual purchase of Alaska, but there were several derogatory names for Alaska itself. These included: Seward's Icebox, Polaria, Icebergia, Walrussia, and Johnson's Polar Bear Garden.
2. What position did William H. Seward hold that gave him the opportunity to negotiate the Alaska purchase?

Answer: Secretary of State

Many believed that Seward would be the Republican party's nomination for president in 1860; instead Seward was Secretary of State for both Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was an important, invaluable, loyal member of Lincoln's wartime Cabinet, and survived an attempt on his own life that was part of the plot to assassinate President Lincoln.
3. Discussions between Russia and the USA regarding a sale of the territory of Alaska first arose in 1859. However, no deal was signed until 1867. Why not?

Answer: The U.S. was involved in events leading up to and including the Civil War.

At one meting the U.S. representative of President Buchanan mentioned a price of up to $5m. This was far too low for Russia. William Seward became Secretary of State under President Lincoln after the election of 1860. He and Lincoln became fast friends and are said to have conferenced daily. Seward began negotiating the sale of Alaska during Lincoln's administration, but there were too many other issues that required attention.
4. With what country was the Alaska purchase negotiated?

Answer: Russia

Russia needed money! Along with having been involved in a very costly war with Britain, money was needed to replay the loan (15 million pounds sterling) from Rothschilds to reimburse landowners after the serfs were emancipated in 1861. Russia offered to sell the territory to both the United States and Britain, but there was no bidding war to drive the price up, as Britain just wasn't interested.
5. One of the reasons that Alaska was sold was because its owner had fought in a costly war from 1853-56 near the Black Sea. What was the name of the war?

Answer: Crimean War

The war was largely fought on the Crimean Peninsula. However, there were smaller skirmishes elsewhere. The sale was not only based on the fact that Russia needed money; it was also aimed to protect Russia from future hostility with Britain. There was concern that having a territory so close to Britain's settlement in British Columbia might make the area a prime target for future wars.
6. Once the United States purchased Alaska, a territory of approximately twice the size of what state was added to American territory. Which was it?

Answer: Texas

At the time of purchase, Americans were concerned by the fact that the United States already held territories which were virtually unpopulated by Americans. How on earth could there be enough people to populate Alaska as well? In addition, how could the United States afford to govern and protect the area? Many believed that even if the United States was given the territory as a gift, it wouldn't be worth taking.
7. Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Russia to America, and is still celebrated in which month?

Answer: October

Another complaint the American people had about the purchase of Alaska was that they were alarmed by the fact that the treaty was signed at 4 a.m. after a night of negotiating; they believed there had to be a sinister motive behind something done at that time of the day.

The treaty was signed on March 30, 1867 and the formal transfer took place on October 18 that year. Interestingly, the date on the Russian calendar was October 7, due to the fact that they were still using the (inaccurate) Julian calendar. Alaska Day is celebrated annually, and it is a holiday for all state workers.
8. At the time of the sale of Alaska, there were two larger towns that had been established to handle the valuable fur trade. One of the towns is known as Sitka today; what was it called at the time of the purchase?

Answer: New Archangel

At the time of the sale of Alaska, it was estimated that New Archangel had a population of about 2,500 Russians and those of mixed race, and about 8,000 native people that were under the control of the Russian fur company. In addition there were about 50,000 native Americans who lived outside the jurisdiction of the Russians.

There were twenty-three trading posts on islands and strategic coastal locations. Some of the stations were manned by only four or five Russians. New Archangel had been established in 1804 to handle the trade of sea otter skins.

In 1867 it contained 116 small log cabins and 968 residents. Many of the Russian who lived there decided to return to Russia after the transfer of ownership. The other large town was St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands.
9. The sale of Alaska for $7.2 million added 586,412 square miles of new territory to the United States. Approximately how much was paid per acre?

Answer: Two Cents

There have been several sweet land deals in U.S. history. The first one that comes to mind, of course, is the purchase of Manhattan Island by Peter Minuit for $24 of trinkets and beads in 1626. When Napoleon sold the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the size of the U.S. was doubled, and the cost per acre was three cents.
10. It seems that it took a really great discovery in Alaska to make the American public appreciate William Seward's efforts. What was discovered there in 1896?

Answer: gold

The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 finally helped Americans see that Alaska was a valuable addition to American territory. Alaska became an organized territory in 1912, and achieved statehood during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower on January 3, 1959. Today the oil and gas industries dominate Alaska's economy, and seafood is another important export.
Source: Author ponycargirl

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