It was called “Seward’s Folly” because opponents saw no value to the purchasing of Alaska from the Russians. There was nothing there except snow and ice in the area and it was difficult to survive let alone live there. When the U.S. began to settle in Alaska, only a few people were willing to live in such a harsh environment where one can die from the cold. That all changed when gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1898. People now came in large numbers to pan for gold and Seward was vindicated in his purchase.