1867: Alaska and Seward’s Folly

We remember President Andrew Johnson because he succeeded President Lincoln and was impeached and not convicted in 1868. 

 

Yet, he made a decision in 1867 that impacted the 20th century in ways that no one could have imagined.  It may have been as consequential as The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 that doubled the size of the nation.

 

Back in March 1867, Secretary of State Seward signed a treaty with Russia and purchased Alaska for $7 million.  

 

It was actually a huge bargain but that’s not what they thought back then.

 

So they called it “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s icebox”.

 

The critics were tough on President Andrew Johnson, too.  They called it his “polar bear garden.”

 

Less than a 100 years later, or 1959, Alaska became a state and nobody is calling the purchase a folly anymore.

 

Can you imagine Soviet missiles pointing at the US from north in Alaska? Or more oil fields in the hands of Putin today?

 

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We remember Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Vincent van Gogh was born in The Netherlands on this day in 1853.   He died in 1890.

For some time, I've been meaning to watch "Lust for life", a movie about his life.    Kirk Douglas was amazing as Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch painter, and nominated for best actor.  Anthony Quinn was also great.

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