Russia Conquered Alaska when explorer Vitus Bering landed there in 1740. The United States began expanding westward in the mid-1800s. Along with the colonization of West, some American politicians began to show interest in the Russian-owned Alaska Territory and all its geological and political resources. Numerous political meetings around the world followed, along with a surge in Russian-American communication. In 1867 the territory of Alaska was purchased from Russia by the United States. (The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations 12) Alaska's location (located between the United States and Soviet Russia) made it a valuable bridge between North America and Asia. The rivalry between the two countries over territory began when American whalers and fur traders began traveling west and came into contact with Russian whalers and fur traders in the same area. The two countries ignored the arguments for a few years, but eventually complaints reached the ears of officials and a treaty was made, followed by the creation of several military outposts. (The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations 23-25) In addition to its geographic value, Alaska was rich in natural resources and was mostly unexplored. Following the gold rushes in California and Arizona, gold prospectors began moving west and soon discovered that the Alaska Territory contained a huge amount of gold. Alaska Natives also maintained a large market in the fish, shellfish, and mollusk industry, deriving a large profit for the country. It has maintained its position as the crab capital of the world, catching and selling more crustaceans than any other place on earth. To put a headline on overeating and... middle of paper... war once broke out while the final price was being determined. At the end of the negotiations, the 586,000 square miles of territory were ultimately sold for 7,200,000 US dollars. (The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations 3) Complaints about the Alaska Purchase began to subside after large amounts of gold and oil were discovered in 1860 and many immigrants began traveling to Alaska. Alaska's population increased by 300 percent after those discoveries, and William Howard Seward recouped the loss from purchasing the territory over the next two years. Now Alaska has a thriving population and generates a large amount of income each year. It was a great financial investment for America and proved to be a great state. The Alaska Territory was made an official state of the United States of America in 1867. (The Alaskans 16)