Why was the purchase of Alaska so controversial?

William Seward, Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State, purchased Alaska rather cheaply from Russia in 1867. Many thought that Seward, a holdover from the Lincoln administration, made a poor business deal, as few Americans knew anything about Alaska. They thought the land was barren and called it "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox." The land was not contiguous to the rest of the United States unlike other land acquisitions, and there was little chance that Americans would...

William Seward, Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State, purchased Alaska rather cheaply from Russia in 1867. Many thought that Seward, a holdover from the Lincoln administration, made a poor business deal, as few Americans knew anything about Alaska. They thought the land was barren and called it "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox." The land was not contiguous to the rest of the United States unlike other land acquisitions, and there was little chance that Americans would be willing to move there in 1867. There would also be some controversy with Britain about where British Columbia began and Alaska ended—this border would not be fully settled until the end of the nineteenth century. Seward realized that the ports of Alaska extended far down the west coast of Canada and these ports would be valuable to America's commercial goals in the Pacific. Seward also wanted to gain the rich timber and fishing rights in Alaska. Seward would not live long enough to see Alaska's true potential, as gold and oil would make the territory quite rich.