In March of 1867 the United States purchased Alaska from the Russians for how much? Why was this known as Seward's Folly? Why did this perception change in the 1890's?

Though mocked by some at the time, the 1867 purchase of Alaska came to be regarded as a masterful deal by the 1890's. The treaty enlarged the United States by 586,000 square miles, an area more than twice the size of Texas, all for the bargain price of around two cents an acre. The final price was $7.2 million dollars (about 1/2 of what Jefferson payed for the Louisiana purchase, which gave us an entire 1/3 of today's country)

Though mocked by some at the time, the 1867 purchase of Alaska came to be regarded as a masterful deal.

Explanation:

The treaty enlarged the United States by 586,000 square miles, an area more than twice the size of Texas, all for the bargain price of around two cents an acre. Yet because some politicians and journalists considered Alaska a barren wasteland - and inherently opposed anything supported by President Andrew Johnson-it became popularly known as "Seward's Folly." That label has stuck, never mind that Seward was economically vindicated long ago by the discovery of gold and oil, not to mention the throngs of tourists that visit the state each summer. National Park.