25. When America bought Alaska from Russia
Stoeckl and William Seward/Wikimedia Commons
Nearly 590,000 square miles was added to the United States during this extraordinary moment in history. Russia was the original owner of Alaska. They considered it uninhabitable, with little value and were looking to sale. The United States was interested in the purchase and even though Congress disapproved – the check was written. After spending $7.2 million on the land, many were concerned that it was a bad investment. All that changed after the Klondike Gold Rush and Alaska paid for itself.
