"One of the last times the United States bought land from a foreign country was in 1867, when Seward orchestrated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million," reporter Chris Cillizza wrote. "It didn't work out so well -- and has gone down as 'Seward's Folly' in the history books."
Those of us who, unlike Mr. Cillizza, remember our history know — as the correction makes plain — that “Seward’s Folly” was what critics called the purchase at the time of the purchase. When I was in school, the critics were the object of derision. And so far as I know, the purchase has actually gone pretty well. Obviously, Cillizza doesn’t remember the Alaska gold rush. What a journalist.
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