The purchase of Alaska was called Seward's folly because back then Alaska was just a barren wasteland with no value in property. Only the Alaskan natives lived there. So when Seward bought the city people thought that was a dumb decision. But after a while people found oil, gold, and fur in Alaska.
Sewards Folly was bought from Russia in the 1940s and is now the great big state of Alaska.
Sewards Folly
Alaska Purchase is the correct name, but to Seward's opponents in was called Seward's Folly.
Seward's enemies referred to his purchase of the Alaska from the Russian empire as "Seward's Folly."
Alaska. Called Sewards Folly
There were a very large group of sceptics that believed that the purchase of Alaska was a blunder. They called it Sewards Folly and Johnson's Icebox.
In 1867 Secratory of state, William, H Seward agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million. People thought he was crazy and called the land Sewards folly or sewards ice box, until gold was discovered..
It's not really a landmark. It is the state of Alaska. Secretary of state Seward purchased the territory of Alaska from Russia.
It was called Sewards Folly because it was thought there were very few resources there.
Secretary of State, Seward, bought Alaska from the Russians in the 1900's, and most of the American population was outraged that he bought a desolate wasteland for the high price that he paid. The Americans called if "Seward's Folly" because it seemed like a ridiculous deal. But gold was soon discovered in Alaska, and Sweard's purchase was soon respected.
Some called it Seward's Folly and others called it Johnson's icebox thinking that it was useless and would never be worth anything.
Alaska was called Seward's Folly.