It’d also prompt Russia to sell Alaska to the US, fearing how easily captured it would be by American forces if they went to war. It would prompt later reforms in how the Russian military conducted itself.
Actually, Russia was afraid after Crimean war (in which Britain was the enemy), that British (from Canada) would easily overrun Alaska, so selling it seemed like a good choice. During American civil war, Russia was very much aligned with the North and that support discouraged British and French to intervene on the side of the South, which sealed their fate.
All valid points, but the truth is, no-one quite knows what the Tsarist was thinking. As you say, Crimean war ended in 1856, and the Alaska sale was in 1857.
It depends who you ask and which historians you query for the reasoning. Both Americans and Britons ('Canadians') were encroaching on the fishing waters of Alaska. Canada wasn't self-governing. America was (hence the sale to America). Besides, America had won the War of Independence against the British, and they - as well as the French - were broke. America hadn't repaid loans to the French, and Britain was still licking their losses (both of colony revenue and in general warfare). Only America genuinely posed any real threat in my humble opinion.
Fascinating history in deed, with lots of it still unknown to general public. However, I based my opinion that is was the British they feared the most because only recently before that Russia - only one among major foreign powers - gave material and real support to Union during the Civil war, which kept Union ports safe: https://www.rbth.com/politics_and_society/2017/08/16/what-role-did-russia-play-in-the-us-civil-war_823252
It’d also prompt Russia to sell Alaska to the US, fearing how easily captured it would be by American forces if they went to war. It would prompt later reforms in how the Russian military conducted itself.
Actually, Russia was afraid after Crimean war (in which Britain was the enemy), that British (from Canada) would easily overrun Alaska, so selling it seemed like a good choice. During American civil war, Russia was very much aligned with the North and that support discouraged British and French to intervene on the side of the South, which sealed their fate.
All valid points, but the truth is, no-one quite knows what the Tsarist was thinking. As you say, Crimean war ended in 1856, and the Alaska sale was in 1857.
It depends who you ask and which historians you query for the reasoning. Both Americans and Britons ('Canadians') were encroaching on the fishing waters of Alaska. Canada wasn't self-governing. America was (hence the sale to America). Besides, America had won the War of Independence against the British, and they - as well as the French - were broke. America hadn't repaid loans to the French, and Britain was still licking their losses (both of colony revenue and in general warfare). Only America genuinely posed any real threat in my humble opinion.
Grunge details the various reasons relatively well (see: https://www.grunge.com/165445/the-real-reason-russia-sold-alaska-to-the-united-states/). I made a generalised remark to show context that Russia were weakening, because this is the History Between Ukraine and Russia, and isn't strongly focused on Russian history.
Fascinating history in deed, with lots of it still unknown to general public. However, I based my opinion that is was the British they feared the most because only recently before that Russia - only one among major foreign powers - gave material and real support to Union during the Civil war, which kept Union ports safe: https://www.rbth.com/politics_and_society/2017/08/16/what-role-did-russia-play-in-the-us-civil-war_823252