Many people don't know the history of Alaska. It is in fact the biggest surface on the North-American Continent, and the 49th state to become part of the confederacy. It is located to the North-West of the continent. Upon acquisition by the American Government from Russia in 1867, it was named "Seward's Folly", after the US secretary William Seward, who had in fact arranged the entire transaction. Many feared that the territory had little to no importance and was just a waste, but with the discovery of gold around the 1890's, new prospects and settlers came.
Alaska neighbors the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic. Its Southern boundaries are Alaskan Gulf, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bering Sea. On the Eastern part you will find the British Columbia province and Canada's Yukon Territory. When looking towards the West, you will see that it borders the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea as well as the Arctic.
History begins in 10 000 BCE, when ancient migratory groups had to pass a natural bridge consisting of ice that connected the area to Siberia. These nomads then settled, and several of these clans are found even today. Some well known tribes include the Aleuts, Athabaskans, Haida and the Yupik, the Tlingit as well as the Inuits.
Alaska's modern history starts around 250 years ago, when the Russians launched their first expeditions. The first one was led by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitas Beringin 1741. It was not until the year 1784, when the very first settlement was built on Kodiak Island. After a period of 15 years, a joint Russian-American Enterprise had managed to gain control of the region. Their leader, Aleksandr Baranov, had made Sitka the company's headquarters. In the early 1800's, a campaign of Tlingit Indians had seized Sitka, but lost it two years later, which ended with them losing the war to the Russians.
The Russian's incapacity to properly ensure self-sustainment to the establishments had made it impossible for them to further develop the area. In 1867, negotiations were carried out between the U. S. A and Russia. These were led by American Secretary William Seward. Russia sold the territories to the Americans for an amount exceeding 7 million dollars. Between 1867-1884, the region was controlled by a federally-appointed governor.
The economic growth was fueled by the discovery of gold reserves in 1880 in the capital city of Juneau. Prospectors started coming out, resulting in a couple of strikes taking place between 1893 and 1896. A major strike in the Klondike area in 1896 was the one to spark a huge gold rush for the Yukon Region and many other areas in Alaska.
Prosperity was also increased by the fishing and timber industries, although it suffered from the lack of a decent transportation system. It was in 1914, that the construction of the railway finally began. This connected Seward to various fishing ports, Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Although the history of Alaska in unknown to many, it goes without saying that the area is an important economic factor. It possesses numerous resources, which have proven their value. It also offers fantastic opportunity's for work and pleasure.
Alaska neighbors the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic. Its Southern boundaries are Alaskan Gulf, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bering Sea. On the Eastern part you will find the British Columbia province and Canada's Yukon Territory. When looking towards the West, you will see that it borders the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea as well as the Arctic.
History begins in 10 000 BCE, when ancient migratory groups had to pass a natural bridge consisting of ice that connected the area to Siberia. These nomads then settled, and several of these clans are found even today. Some well known tribes include the Aleuts, Athabaskans, Haida and the Yupik, the Tlingit as well as the Inuits.
Alaska's modern history starts around 250 years ago, when the Russians launched their first expeditions. The first one was led by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitas Beringin 1741. It was not until the year 1784, when the very first settlement was built on Kodiak Island. After a period of 15 years, a joint Russian-American Enterprise had managed to gain control of the region. Their leader, Aleksandr Baranov, had made Sitka the company's headquarters. In the early 1800's, a campaign of Tlingit Indians had seized Sitka, but lost it two years later, which ended with them losing the war to the Russians.
The Russian's incapacity to properly ensure self-sustainment to the establishments had made it impossible for them to further develop the area. In 1867, negotiations were carried out between the U. S. A and Russia. These were led by American Secretary William Seward. Russia sold the territories to the Americans for an amount exceeding 7 million dollars. Between 1867-1884, the region was controlled by a federally-appointed governor.
The economic growth was fueled by the discovery of gold reserves in 1880 in the capital city of Juneau. Prospectors started coming out, resulting in a couple of strikes taking place between 1893 and 1896. A major strike in the Klondike area in 1896 was the one to spark a huge gold rush for the Yukon Region and many other areas in Alaska.
Prosperity was also increased by the fishing and timber industries, although it suffered from the lack of a decent transportation system. It was in 1914, that the construction of the railway finally began. This connected Seward to various fishing ports, Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Although the history of Alaska in unknown to many, it goes without saying that the area is an important economic factor. It possesses numerous resources, which have proven their value. It also offers fantastic opportunity's for work and pleasure.
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