Seward's Folly

noun

U.S. History.

1. the purchase of Alaska in 1867, through the negotiations of Secretary of State W. H. Seward.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Seward's Folly¹

So called because Alaska was regarded as worthless land

Example Sentences

Critics called the purchase 'Seward's Folly', arguing the land amounted to a frozen wasteland.

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The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, in a deal disparaged at the time as “Seward’s Folly,” for $7.2 million.

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Secretary of State William H. Seward reached agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal ridiculed by critics as “Seward’s Folly.”

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The purchase arranged by the secretary of state was ridiculed at the time as “Seward’s Folly” by critics who also called the territory “Seward’s Icebox.”

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At the time, however, it was ridiculed as "Seward's folly," with many in the press arguing that he had wasted taxpayer money on a frozen wasteland.

Read more on Salon