Alaska Becomes The 49th State

Sarah Palin wasn't born until five years later, but in 1959, Pres. Eisenhower made it official.

In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward closed the deal acquiring Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million under Pres. Lincoln's purview. It was dubbed Seward's Folly.

Seward negotiated the deal in an extended bargaining session with Russian minister to the United States Eduard de Stoeckl on March 30, 1867. The Senate passed the treaty a few days later, but the House held up funding the purchase for more than a year...