When Alaska was purchased by Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State for the bargain price of about two cents an acre, he was ridiculed in Congress. What nickname did detractors give the purchase?

William Seward was Secretary of State for Abraham Lincoln, and was seriously wounded during Lincoln's assassination. He stayed on the job for Andrew Johnson, though, and in 1867 negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for only $7.2 million. Adjusted for inflation, he would have paid about $132 million.

Asked by Tom Cohen · Last updated 5 years ago · 18K views