Seward purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, which was a bargain at the time. Seward believed that the purchase of Alaska would be beneficial for the United States in the long run. He saw Alaska as a strategic asset, as it would provide the United States with access to the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, as well as a potential source of natural resources. Additionally, Seward believed that the purchase of Alaska would help to strengthen the United States' presence in the Pacific region and help to protect the country from foreign powers.
