Americans in the late-1800s always had a desire to expand the United States. They wished to expand into the Pacific Ocean to make America an even greater nation. Therefore, American expansion into the Pacific was justified. One American, William Seward, purchased the state we know today as Alaska from Russia. He thought it was a great buy. However, other Americans were very upset; they thought Seward bought a big chunk of ice! They called it “Seward’s Folly” because of how terrible they thought his mistake was. It wasn’t until after Seward’s death that Americans realized how rich Alaska was in nutrients and natural resources. Therefore, Alaska was a great expansion for the United States. Hawaii is a much different story than Alaska’s. The
