Alaskans celebrate Seward’s Day, an annual state holiday commemorating the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Observed on the last Monday of March, the day honors William H. Seward, the US Secretary of State who negotiated the deal that transformed Alaska into an American district, which became a territory, and then finally a state.
On March 30, 1867, Seward finalized the purchase agreement with Russia for $7.2 million, a deal that was initially mocked as “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox” by critics who believed Alaska was a frozen wasteland of little value. However, the acquisition proved to be one of the most valuable land deals in US history, with Alaska later becoming a crucial economic and strategic asset.
“William Seward was mocked by the naysayers of his day for championing the purchase of Alaska, but he has been more than vindicated with time. Alaska contributes so much to America—through our people, our strategic location and our abundant natural resources. Happy Seward’s Day!,” wrote Sen. Dan Sullivan.
State government offices and some city offices close on this day. Those who work — public safety employees, for example — get double time.
In 2023, the Marxist-dominated Anchorage Assembly decided to remove Seward’s Day from the schedule of observed holidays. Ultimately, the Assembly didn’t remove it, but instead added Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day as paid holidays for city workers, giving them a total of 12 paid holidays in addition to their personal-vacation days.
