The correct answer is Supported believed Alaska would provide valuable natural resources, while detractors felt it was too cold and too far away.
The annexation of Alaska was a controversial topic in Congress during the mid 1800's. The decision to add it to the United States as a territory was decided by one vote in Congress. The individuals who voted against the annexation felt it was a waste of time and money. They gave it nicknames like "Seward's Folly" (named after Secretary of State William Seward) and "Johnson's Polar Bear Garden" (After president Andrew Johnson who approved of the annexation).
The American colonists might have agreed, but they wanted to have a say in the decision. They wanted the right to vote about their own taxes, like the people living in Britain. But no colonists were permitted to serve in the British Parliament. So they protested that they were being taxed without being represented.
The first two battles were the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775 and they were located in Massachusetts.
