The skeptical public finally accepted Secretary of State William Seward's purchase of Alaska partly because it
a. learned that there were extensive oil deposits in the territory.
b. was found to be strategically vital to American defense in the northern Pacific.
c. realized that Alaska would be the last frontier after the settling of the West.
d. was grateful to Russia as the only great power friendly to the Union during the Civil War.
e. became entranced by the natural beauty and wildlife of the territory.
Answer: D