<P> Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, fearing that it might be seized if war broke out with the United Kingdom . Russia's primary activities in the territory had been fur trade and missionary work among the Native Alaskans . The land added 586,412 square miles (1,518,800 km) of new territory to the United States . </P> <P> Reactions to the purchase in the United States were mostly positive; some opponents called it "Seward's Folly" (after Secretary of State William H. Seward), while others praised the move for weakening both the UK and Russia as rivals to American commercial expansion in the Pacific region . </P> <P> Originally organized as the Department of Alaska, the area was renamed the District of Alaska and the Alaska Territory before becoming the modern state of Alaska upon being admitted to the Union as a state in 1959 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> Part of a series on the </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> History of Alaska </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Prehistory </Li> <Li> Russian America (1733--1867) </Li> <Li> Department of Alaska (1867--1884) </Li> <Li> District of Alaska (1884--1912) </Li> <Li> Territory of Alaska (1912--1959) </Li> <Li> State of Alaska (1959--present) </Li> <Li> Other topics </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How much did we pay russia for alaska