88: “The Last Frontier:” The Purchase of Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush

History That Doesn't Suck

ProfGregJackson

Education, History, Society & Culture

4.5 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2021

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“This is my last opportunity to make a big haul. Alaska is the last West.” This is the story of the US purchase of Alaska and the famous Klondike Gold Rush. Russia needs funds and sees its territory of Russian-America as a liability. That has US Secretary of State William Henry Seward seeing opportunities, such as fisheries and access to Asian markets. It’s an ideal match of interests for two major powers—provided William Henry can convince the Senate to approve the treaty to purchase a region twice the size of Texas. Decades later, three men find gold in one of the Klondike River’s tributaries. Although in Canada, most of the 100,000 prospectors (called “stampeders” or “klondikers”) who’ll flock here do so via Alaska. There’s wealth to be had if they can survive the journey … and avoid getting robbed blind in Skagway by Jefferson “Soapy” Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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1:00.8	It's Friday night, March 29th, 1867.
1:04.8	William Henry Seward is at home in his Washington, D.C. mansion on the corner of Lafayette Square.
1:10.0	Stones throw from the White House.
1:12.3	Now 68 years old, the short, slender Republican with a Roman nose, impressive gray hair,
1:18.0	and who answers to his first and middle names is playing the popular card game, Wist, with
1:23.0	his family.
1:24.0	It's been almost two years since Louis Powell tried to assassinate him under this very
	...

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