As the United States was trying to recover and rebuild after the Civil War, Russia offered to sell the Alaskan territory to the US. &nbsp;Since America already had an abundance of underpopulated land, this was extremely unpopular until gold was discovered in the Klondike. &nbsp;Even though the treaty was negotiated &nbsp;in March, 1967 it took a year for the House of Representatives to authorize the funding. &nbsp;The Treaty of Cession was signed by the Tsar and President. &nbsp;

The United States purchases Alaska for $7.2 million or less than 2 cents an acre from Russia

This was the official abolishment of slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States except as punishment for a crime.&nbsp;

US Capitol

Thirteenth Amendment

The Emancipation Proclamation served to free all the remaining slaves in the Union. &nbsp;

White House

Emancipation Proclamation

 A public park and playground in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Located north of East Broadway and east of Essex Street, it is 3.046 acres (12,330 m2) in size and is the first municipally built playground in the United States. 

Curving paths and a north-south mall divided the park into recreational areas. 

 They that built playgrounds in the undeveloped parks using temporary facilities and equipment, built it as the first permanent, municipally built playground in the country.  

A large running track encircled the play area and children's garden.  

&amp;nbsp;In 1909, Andrew Carnegie financed the construction of the ornate Italian Renaissance Revival-style library, landmarked in 2013, in the park&amp;rsquo;s southeast corner.  

Seward Park

Alaska began to approach the subject of statehood around 1914. &nbsp;But it took until the mid 50's for the process to get underway primarily because of the disposition of Congressional representatives and the Electoral College. &nbsp;Democrats favored Alaska and Republicans Hawaii. &nbsp;It was clear that both states had to be admitted to maintain the ‘equal footing’ in Washington. &nbsp;

Alaska becomes the 49th State

Named for the U.S. Senator from New York.

An American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War, he was a prominent figure in the Republican Party in its formative years, and was praised for his work on behalf of the Union as Secretary of State during the Civil War. 

William H. Seward

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