Which of the following was a nickname newspapers used to mock the Alaska purchase?

• A. Sewards Folly
• B. Sewards Icebox
• C. Polar Bear Garden
• D. Icebox Deal

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how newspapers used satire to frame the Alaska Purchase. When Alaska was bought in 1867, many people mocked the decision, and newspapers offered witty jabs to express doubts about its value. The nickname Polar Bear Garden uses stark imagery of a cold, wild landscape populated by polar bears, turning the sale into a humorous, even absurd notion of turning a harsh Arctic frontier into a “garden.” That sharp, memorable contrast—cultivating a garden in a polar region—captures the mocking tone well, which is why this nickname is the best example of how the press ridiculed the purchase. The other nicknames you might hear, such as Seward’s Folly or Seward’s Icebox, also reflect skepticism, but Polar Bear Garden stands out for its vivid, visual punch that newspapers used to lampoon the idea of Alaska as a valuable addition.