The 49th State: The Alaska Boundary Dispute
A Background
Alaska, the 49th state of America, was acquired from Russia in the mid-1800s. The original proposal occurred in 1859- but with the looming Civil War, buying more territory was not a priority. After the war, Secretary of State at the time William Seward would renew the agreement and, with overall governmental approval, Alaska would be bought for $7.2 million dollars. Alaska would remain a territory of sorts until the 1950s. However, long before the land was bought or even offered to the United States, an agreement clause between Russia and Great Britain would cause issues for John Hay and the Roosevelt Administration.
How Hay Played a Part
Prior to the acquisition of Alaska by the US, Russia and Great Britain agreed to a set boundary between Alaska and Canada that relied on being “10 marine leagues” (about 30 miles) from the ocean. While simple enough, this would become an area of tension- especially when gold was found around the area.
The disputed border
The dispute dealt with the wording of the agreement, specifically what counted as “from the ocean.” The US interpreted this statement as 30 miles from the head of the bay; Canada interpreted this line as being 30 miles from the mouth of the bay. While this may seem trivial, this distinction would decide if Canada had access to the sea or not.
After much dispute and discussion, John Hay and the British Ambassador Reginald Tower finally came to an agreement over the territory. The final decision between the two, which was predicted here but would occur much later, resulted in a victory for the United States. The American interpretation of the border would be declared as the “true” border. While this may not have been a super monumental moment for the US or Hay himself, this event would be seen as a stepping stone towards Canadian independence due to a sense of betrayal regarding the crown not fighting harder for the border and the people of Canada.
This reporting was from the New York Times in 1899. While optimistic, this original attempt would fail- the dispute would not end until 1903.