WhiteHouse.gov Petition Asks for Alaska to Secede, Rejoin Russia

Now that Crimea is a member of the Russian Federation, others are expressing their desire to be annexed by Russia. But it is not only people in Europe. A person just known as S.V. started a petition for Alaska to secede from America and rejoin Russia.

The WhiteHouse.gov petition was created on March 21 and has 33,433 signatures. It is unknown how many of the people are from Alaska, but a few from California and New York signed the petition. The petition needs 100,000 signatures by April 20 for the White House to respond to it.

The United States purchased Russian America from Russia on March 30, 1867 for $7.2 million, which is $118 million in 2013 dollars. Americans decided on the Aleut name Alaska for the territory. Secretary of State William Seward signed the treaty and it was called Seward’s Folly because Americans were not pleased with the purchase. Alaska proved to be a great purchase because of the immense amount of gold, copper, and oil there. 

Alaska’s statehood was approved on July 7, 1958 and official statehood was declared on January 3, 1959. It is the union’s 49^th state.

Alaska Congressman Don Young (R) has been in office since 1973, and he said the people he knows do not want to part of Russia. He provided this statement to Breitbart News:

This Monday marks the 147th anniversary of what I consider the greatest investment in United States history, the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Once referred to as Seward’s Folly, Americans across the country recognize the vast contributions Alaska makes to this great nation.  With billion dollar industries in oil and gas, mining, and fisheries, a strong tourism sector, and a culturally diverse history and population, Americans are extremely proud of our 49th state.

If Alaskans were seriously considering seceding from the United States, it certainly wouldn’t be to join a country like Russia; rather, it would be to create a sovereign nation to guarantee our own social and economic well-being. For the thousands of Alaskans who have expressed deep concern for this Administration and its policies, I can tell you that they would have no interest in calling Vladimir Putin their leader.