Honestly, if you ask most people what is the 49th state of America, they’ll probably pause for a second before blurting out "Alaska." They’re right, of course. But what usually gets left out of the conversation is how incredibly close we came to never having that 49th star on the flag at all.
It wasn't some inevitable march of progress. It was a messy, decades-long political brawl that involved Russian fur traders, a "folly" of a purchase, and a literal bonfire of 49 tons of wood in Anchorage.
The Long Road to Becoming the 49th State of America
Alaska officially joined the Union on January 3, 1959.
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But let’s back up. The U.S. actually bought the place from Russia way back in 1867. Secretary of State William H. Seward cut a check for $7.2 million. That sounds like a bargain now—basically pennies per acre—but at the time, people thought he was out of his mind. They called it "Seward’s Folly" or "Seward's Icebox."
For nearly 30 years after the purchase, the U.S. basically ignored it. It was governed by the Navy, then the Treasury, then the Army. It was a "district," not even a territory. It took the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896 for D.C. to realize, "Oh, wait, there’s actually stuff there."
Why did it take 92 years to get statehood?
Basically, it was a mix of corporate greed and petty politics.
Big fishing and mining companies (often called the "Alaska Syndicate," backed by names like J.P. Morgan) loved that Alaska wasn't a state. No statehood meant lower taxes and fewer regulations. They could just extract the salmon and the gold and send the profits back East without paying for things like roads or schools in Alaska.
Then you had the political side. In the 1950s, the Democrats wanted Alaska (the 49th state of America) because they thought it would vote blue. The Republicans wanted Hawaii (the 50th state) because they thought it would vote red.
It was a total stalemate.
Eventually, a "deal" was struck to let them both in. But Alaska got across the finish line first. On July 7, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act. But the official "Welcome to the Club" proclamation didn't happen until that cold January morning in 1959.
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The "Tennessee Plan" and a Beard with Numbers
Alaskans were tired of being "second-class citizens."
In 1956, they got so fed up with waiting for Congress that they tried something called the Tennessee Plan. Basically, they just elected two "Senators" and a "Representative" and sent them to Washington, D.C., anyway. They had no legal power, but they hung around the halls of Congress like ghosts, reminding everyone that Alaska wasn't going away.
One of the coolest stories from the actual day of statehood involves a local hairdresser in Anchorage. To celebrate, he grew a beard and shaved it so his sideburns formed the numbers 4 and 9.
People in Anchorage also built a massive bonfire. They piled up 49 tons of wood. Some prankster from Texas even tried to plant a Texas flag on top of the pile before they lit it. Alaskans have always had a bit of a rivalry with Texas because, well, Alaska is twice as big. The joke back then was: "If you Texans don't stop complaining, we'll split Alaska in half and make you the third largest state."
Surprising Facts About the 49th State
Most people know it's big and cold, but the nuances are what make it fascinating.
- The Size Factor: If you put Alaska on top of the "Lower 48," it would stretch from Florida to California.
- The Population Paradox: It’s the largest state by land, but consistently one of the least populated. You've got more caribou than people in many zip codes.
- The Sunset Rule: In places like Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), the sun doesn't rise for over 60 days in the winter. But in the summer? It doesn't set for nearly three months.
- The Purchase Price: That $7.2 million we paid Russia? In today's money (2026), that's roughly $165 million. For perspective, that’s about the cost of a single high-end fighter jet or a couple of Hollywood blockbusters.
Is it worth visiting the 49th state?
If you’re a fan of nature that actually feels "wild," then yeah.
I’ve spent time in Denali, and honestly, the scale of it is hard to process. You see a mountain in the distance and think, "That's a nice hill," and then your guide tells you it's 20 miles away and 10,000 feet tall.
But it’s not just about the bears and the glaciers. The history of the Indigenous peoples—the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and others—is deeply woven into the land. Statehood brought a lot of complicated issues regarding Native land claims, which weren't even partially settled until the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Trip
If you're planning to see the 49th state for yourself, don't just stick to the cruise ships.
- Go in the "Shoulder" Season: Late May or early September. The crowds are thinner, the bugs are fewer, and you might actually catch the Northern Lights if the sky stays dark enough.
- Rent a Car in Anchorage: Drive the Seward Highway. It’s consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful drives in the world. You've got mountains on one side and the Turnagain Arm (where you can see beluga whales) on the other.
- Respect the "Last Frontier" Label: Alaska isn't a theme park. The weather changes in minutes. If you’re hiking, carry bear spray and know how to use it.
The story of what is the 49th state of America is really a story about persistence. From the Indigenous people who lived there for thousands of years to the "59ers" who drove up from Michigan in old station wagons to homestead, Alaska has always been a place for people who don't mind a little bit of a struggle.
If you want to dive deeper into the history, I'd highly recommend looking up the "Alaska-Tennessee Plan" or reading Ernest Gruening’s writings. He was one of the first Senators and a huge figure in making statehood a reality.
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Next Steps for You:
If you're looking to plan a trip, start by checking the Alaska Marine Highway System schedules. It’s a ferry system that acts as a highway for the coastal towns—it's way cheaper than a cruise and much more "local."