In honor of Alaska Day, we"re in the harbor of Sitka, Alaska, which was the capital of Russian America in the 19th century, when it was called Novo-Arkhangelsk. It was here on this day in 1867 that officials of the Russian Empire formally transferred the Territory of Alaska to the United States in a sale for $7.2 million, or just around 2 cents per acre. It seems an astonishingly small price today, but at the time, opponents called it "Seward"s Folly" after then-Secretary of State William H. Seward, who negotiated the deal. Few Americans moved to the "Last Frontier" at first, but in the 1890s, when gold was discovered in the Yukon and Alaska, a rush of prospectors and others began a wave of settlers in the territory. Ever since, Alaska, with its vast natural resources and staggering beauty, has been a prized American domain and an enduring symbol of American wilderness.
Sitka shines on Alaska Day
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Does this chameleon look a little insecure?
-
At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
-
King of the dinosaurs
-
Belgium celebrates its independence
-
Put your helmet on, we’re going for a hike
-
Stop and see the flowers
-
Construction workers resting above Manhattan
-
Shhh, the movie is about to start
-
Ringing in the new year at Teotihuacan
-
Remembering Krakatoa
-
Mexican giant cardon cactus
-
Hey, you two in the front!
-
Fall for Chile
-
Under Parisian skies
-
High seas commerce
-
Old man s whiskers growing wild
-
A dramatic view of Sicily
-
The tale of squirrels like Nutkin
-
Sea fireflies at the seashore
-
Marine Day in Japan