Prior to the 18th century, when a Russian expedition found it, the history of Alaska does not have an extensive history. Only indigenous people resided on the land before 1741. It is believed these peoples made their way from Asia by way of the Bering land bridge.
In 1741 Vitus Bering and his fellow explorer George Steller are said to have discovered the land, however settlement did not begin until 1784. Grigory Ivanovich Sheilikhov led the first settlement at Three Saints Bay located on Kodiak Island. More settlers arrived and the area grew to include much of the Cook Inlet.
The Russian presence and control of fur trading and land far exceeded that of both British and Spanish interests. The 19th century was financially difficult for the Russians leading to the Alaska purchase. William Seward, the US Secretary of State, authorized a payment of 7.2 million to Russia on August 1, 1867. The transaction was equal to two cents for every acre of land and was referred to as "Seward's Folly".
It was not until the late 1800's, when gold was found, that the government of the United States began to take interest in the area. The gold brought a population explosion, quickly developed towns, increased construction and improved commerce. In 1903 the US settled a dispute with Canada over the territory.
A horrible diphtheria epidemic hit the town of Nome, Alaska in 1925. The issue was remarkable in the history of Alaska due to the urgent need to provide the people with lifesaving medications which were unable to be transported over the terrain and thwarted by the harsh winter weather. A group of 20 sled dog teams braved 674 miles of freezing temperatures, gale force winds, and unforgiving terrain to deliver the supplies in just five days. This effort is memorialized in the annual Iditarod sled dog race held in Alaska.
In 1940, the combined military compound of Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base was established just outside Anchorage, Alaska due to the increased threats of war. To the humiliation of the United States, during World War II, Japan was able to invade and occupy two Aleutian Islands: Attu and Kiska. Within one year these islands are retaken, but resulted in a greater military presence being established in the territory. In some locations the military buildup caused the population t more than double.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the importance of the region following World War II. The Alaska Statehood Act was effective on July 7, 1958. On January 3, 1959, Alaska was welcomed as the 49th state, nearly 100 years after it was purchased.
The unique state has had problems to overcome. On March 27, 1964, it was hit by a 9.2 earthquake that shook for a devastating 4 minutes. The Good Friday Earthquake is one of the most awesome earthquakes ever recorded; it laid waste to entire towns, swallowed ports, rearranged the flow of streams and changed the surface of the terrain.
With the discovery of oil in 1968 the state and the consequential building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the state was launched into the position of one of the most financially powerful states within the Union. Oil was also the cause of incredible environmental damage in 1986, when a tanker spilled it's load into Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez spilled over 11 million gallons of crude along the shoreline, killing hundreds of thousands of wildlife and disrupting the natural ecology.
In 1741 Vitus Bering and his fellow explorer George Steller are said to have discovered the land, however settlement did not begin until 1784. Grigory Ivanovich Sheilikhov led the first settlement at Three Saints Bay located on Kodiak Island. More settlers arrived and the area grew to include much of the Cook Inlet.
The Russian presence and control of fur trading and land far exceeded that of both British and Spanish interests. The 19th century was financially difficult for the Russians leading to the Alaska purchase. William Seward, the US Secretary of State, authorized a payment of 7.2 million to Russia on August 1, 1867. The transaction was equal to two cents for every acre of land and was referred to as "Seward's Folly".
It was not until the late 1800's, when gold was found, that the government of the United States began to take interest in the area. The gold brought a population explosion, quickly developed towns, increased construction and improved commerce. In 1903 the US settled a dispute with Canada over the territory.
A horrible diphtheria epidemic hit the town of Nome, Alaska in 1925. The issue was remarkable in the history of Alaska due to the urgent need to provide the people with lifesaving medications which were unable to be transported over the terrain and thwarted by the harsh winter weather. A group of 20 sled dog teams braved 674 miles of freezing temperatures, gale force winds, and unforgiving terrain to deliver the supplies in just five days. This effort is memorialized in the annual Iditarod sled dog race held in Alaska.
In 1940, the combined military compound of Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base was established just outside Anchorage, Alaska due to the increased threats of war. To the humiliation of the United States, during World War II, Japan was able to invade and occupy two Aleutian Islands: Attu and Kiska. Within one year these islands are retaken, but resulted in a greater military presence being established in the territory. In some locations the military buildup caused the population t more than double.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the importance of the region following World War II. The Alaska Statehood Act was effective on July 7, 1958. On January 3, 1959, Alaska was welcomed as the 49th state, nearly 100 years after it was purchased.
The unique state has had problems to overcome. On March 27, 1964, it was hit by a 9.2 earthquake that shook for a devastating 4 minutes. The Good Friday Earthquake is one of the most awesome earthquakes ever recorded; it laid waste to entire towns, swallowed ports, rearranged the flow of streams and changed the surface of the terrain.
With the discovery of oil in 1968 the state and the consequential building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the state was launched into the position of one of the most financially powerful states within the Union. Oil was also the cause of incredible environmental damage in 1986, when a tanker spilled it's load into Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez spilled over 11 million gallons of crude along the shoreline, killing hundreds of thousands of wildlife and disrupting the natural ecology.
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