Trump-Putin Summit Revisits Russia’s 1850s War Loss and Alaska’s Sale to US, a Century Later

In the 19th century, Russia found itself embroiled in a costly war over Crimea, a region that remains a contentious issue today. As President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin prepare to meet in Alaska this week, it’s worth reflecting on the historical connection between these two territories.

From 1799 to 1867, Alaska served as a full-fledged Russian colony. During this period, Russia established an outpost in California and built Russian Orthodox churches with distinctive onion domes that still stand today. The sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million – or just 2 cents per acre – was a means for Russia to alleviate war debts accumulated during the Crimean War, which it lost to Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire.

Lee Farrow, a history professor at Auburn University at Montgomery and author of Seward’s Folly: A New Look at the Alaska Purchase, explained that “Americans might know that we bought Alaska from Russia, but they don’t necessarily know that it was a real colony there.” The sale of Alaska, however, was not without controversy. Critics referred to it as “Seward’s folly,” arguing that the United States had acquired a barren and frozen wasteland.

In its early days as a U.S. territory, Alaska and its indigenous people were largely ignored by the government, with little investment made in the region. It wasn’t until the discovery of gold in 1896 that Alaska began to develop, eventually becoming a state in 1959 and yielding large oil reserves in the 1950s and 60s.

Interestingly, there are Russians today who believe that Alaska should rightfully be theirs. When Farrow traveled to Russia following the publication of her book, she frequently encountered questions about the legitimacy of the U.S. purchase of Alaska. A strong narrative in Russia suggests that either no payment was made or the deal was a lease, and Alaska should have been returned already.

While Alaska’s transfer from Russian to American control was peaceful, Crimea has long been a site of conflict due to its strategic location on the Black Sea. In 1853, Russia sought full control of Crimea but underestimated the intervention of Western powers, leading to a humiliating defeat. In the 20th century, Crimea became part of the Soviet Union before joining independent Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Fast forward to 2014, and Russia once again seized control of Crimea through an invasion, sparking the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The return of Crimea is a key demand from Ukraine and will likely be a topic of discussion during the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska this week.