On March 30, 1867, the U.S. Secretary of State, William H. Seward, finalized a deal with Russia to acquire Alaska for a cost of $7 million. This acquisition, often described as purchasing Alaska at approximately two cents per acre, received criticism in Congress and the media. It was often referred to as "Seward's Folly," "Seward's icebox," and President Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden."