Today 152 years ago Alaska became US territory. Without any fighting and killing - I Looking at what happens in Syria today - remarkable! Stefan.
Not really nobody else really wanted it and there were very few people there. Nobody knew there was gold in them thar hills
With apologies to American members for mistakes in your history - The search for gold and the culture that surrounded it explains a lot of traditional attitudes in the USA today. I'm guessing, but could be that the California goldrush led to the search for gold and other minerals way up western USA as far as Alaska. Try reading Roughing it by Mark Twain. https://www.amazon.com/Roughing-Signet-Classics-Mark-Twain/dp/0451531108