Top of page

Book/Printed Material Certificate of Exchange.

View 2 images in sequence.

About this Item

Title

  • Certificate of Exchange.

Summary

  • On June 20, 1867, U.S. secretary of State William H. Seward and the Russian minister to the United States, Eduard de Stoeckl, exchanged the official instruments of ratification of the Alaska purchase treaty in Washington, D.C. While the Russian government rubber-stamped the tsar's authorization of the treaty, under the terms of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Senate had to consent to the treaty on the American side. The final exchange of ratified treaties took place approximately three months after the signing of the agreement in late March. This Certificate of Exchange notes that the two ratification texts were checked against each other, and then against the original text of the treaty. The Russian and American governments agreed to minor textual variations in the respective English and French versions of the treaty. Aside from their signatures, Seward and de Stoeckl affixed their respective governmental seals to the certificate. This exchange marked the conclusion of the treaty process, and Alaska became United States territory on October 18, 1867, even though the U.S. House of Representatives still had to appropriate the funds for the purchase. Internal American politics swirling around the impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson delayed the authorization of funding for more than a year, causing irritation in Saint Petersburg and giving rise to complaints from the Russian government. The money ultimately was appropriated and final payment for the Alaska purchase was issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on August 1, 1868.

Names

  • Russia Associated Name.
  • Seward, William H. (William Henry), 1801-1872, signer.
  • Stoeckl, Eduard de, baron Signer.
  • United States Associated Name.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1867-06-20.

Headings

  • -  Russian Federation
  • -  United States of America--Alaska
  • -  United States of America--District of Columbia--Washington
  • -  1867-06-20
  • -  Alaska -- Annexation to the United States
  • -  Alexander II, Emperor of Russia, 1818-1881
  • -  Constitutional law
  • -  Foreign relations
  • -  International law
  • -  Treaties

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource at: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021671099

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Russia Associated Name, William H Seward, Eduard De Stoeckl, and United States Associated Name. Certificate of Exchange. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -06-20, 1867] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021671099/.

APA citation style:

Russia Associated Name, Seward, W. H., Stoeckl, E. D. & United States Associated Name. (1867) Certificate of Exchange. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -06-20] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021671099/.

MLA citation style:

Russia Associated Name, et al. Certificate of Exchange. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -06-20, 1867] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021671099/>.