Discussions about Russian History > Imperial Russian History
Why was Alaska sold?
LisaDavidson:
--- Quote ---My boss has had me trying to find the answer to this question for a few days now and I'm getting nowhere and was hoping someone here could help.
He believes that he read at some point that of the $7.2 million paid for Alaska the Russian people only received $100,000. I can find documentation that the actual money transferred came to $7.035 million after lobbying costs and bribes were deducted. My boss stated that he thought $4 million went to the queen (which seems unlikely since it was the reign of Alexander II) and another couple million went to an arch duke, and still more money went to others. In the end what went to the Russian nation was approximately $100,000.
I am trying to identify if anyone knows if there is written support for this? If so, what is the source material, so I can make him a copy?
I am not doing this in any political sense, but purely academic. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
--- End quote ---
Prior to the Revolution, the Tsar was an autocrat, at least until 1905. What he did with the monies for Alaska would have been totally up to him.
There were no queens in Russia. The wife of a male ruler was an Empress, and Alexander II's wife was known in Russia as Maria Alexandrovna. There were no arch dukes in Russia - this was a title used in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, never in Russia.
I think it most likely that whatever was received by Russia for Alaska went into the treasury of the Imperial government.
CH_Crash:
Thank you. Any information on this is helpful.
donaxalaska:
JUST THINK THE FIRST PROPSOSAL TO SALE WAS FOR A FICTITIONARY SALE OF RUSSIAN AMERICA TO THE ICE COMPANY OF SAN FRANCISCO FOR SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS...JUST SO THE BRITISH COULD NOT HAVE THE COLONIES..
AT FIRST RUSSIA WAS ONLY CONSIDER SELLING THE UNITED STATES ITS COLONIES.THEY DID NOT WANT THE BRITISH OR THE MILITANT MORMONS OR THE GOLD MINERS TO HAVE IT..RUSSIA EVEN TALKED ABOUT JUST GIVING IT TO THE U.S. SO THE BRITISH BANKERS WHO WERE TRYING TO BUY IT WOULD NOT GET IT.... THE EMPIRE DID NOT WANT THE BRITAINS ON BOTH SIDES OF THEM...
MARCH 1867 U.S. OFFERED FIVE MILLION FOR THE COLONIES..BUT TO PAY OFF THE INDEBTEDNESS OF THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY THE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF FINANCE WANTED 6 TO 6.5 MILLION FOR THE COLONIES....FINALLY AT FOUR IN THE MORNING ON MARCH 30. 1867 A TREATY WAS DRAWN UP....THE ALASKA COLONIES WERE FORMALLY TURNED OVER TO GENERAL ROUSSEAU BY CAPTAIN PESTCHOUROFF AT SITKA ON OCTOBER 18, 1867... AND BY THIS ACT RUSSIA FULFILLED HER PART OF THE TREATY, BUT THE U.S. DID NOT PAY THE SUM AGREED BY THE TREATY OF CESSATION UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SUMMER..THE AMOUNT TO PAID WAS TO BE 7.2 MILLION DOLLARS...(JUST THINK THE U.S. GOT MORE THEN JUST THE COLONIES.....OOPS EXCUSE ME :) )
A WEALTHY NEW ENGLAND CONTRACTOR, HUTCHINSON GOT PRINCE MAKSOUTOFF , THE GOV. OF THE RUSSIAN-AMERICAN COMPANY TO SELL HIM THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN COMPANY SURPLUS GOODS AND ALL THE STOCK OF THE RUSSIAN COMPANY FOR SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS...THEN IN TURN HUTCHINSON RECEIVED OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE GOODS AND SHIPS THAT WHERE IN SITKA HARBOR...
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