The land that is today the state of Alaska was originally settled thousands of years ago. Historians believe that the people first arrived from northern Asia, coming across the Bering Land Bridge during the last Ice Age. The lower sea levels caused this land to be exposed, but today it is under water. These original peoples settled throughout Alaska, Canada, and the Americas. In Alaska they eventually became tribes such as the Tlingit, Haida, Aleut, Tsimshian, and the Inuit.
Mt. McKinley from the National Park Service
Europeans Arrive
In 1728, a Danish explorer named Vitus Bering arrived in Alaska. He discovered a strait between North America and Asia. Today this straight is named the Bering Strait. He returned to the area in 1741 and explored the Alaskan coastline. British explorer Captain James Cook arrived in 1776 looking for the fabled Northwest Passage. He landed on the coast and made contact with the natives.
Colonizing Alaska
The Russians were the first Europeans to establish a permanent settlement in Alaska in 1784 on Kodiak Island. They continued to settle the area, primarily in order to hunt sea otters for their fur. Over the next several years, both Spain and Britain made attempts at exploring Alaska, but the Russians continued to be the dominant European presence.
Polar Bear by Debruyne Terry
The U.S. Purchases Alaska
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia on August 1, 1867 for $7,200,000. The purchase was supported by Secretary of State William Seward. At first, people thought that the purchase was a mistake and a waste of money. They called Alaska "Seward's Folly." However, Seward was vindicated when gold and oil were discovered. The price of two cents an acre turned out to be a good investment.
Klondike Gold Rush
In 1896, large deposits of gold were discovered in the Klondike territory of Alaska. Soon word got out and people were flocking to Alaska to strike it rich. Between 1896 and 1899, around 100,000 people traveled to Alaska to mine for gold. This period is called the Klondike Gold Rush or the Yukon Gold Rush. It is estimated that over 1 million pounds of gold have been mined from the region.
World War II
During World War II, two of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska were invaded by the Japanese. This was the only part of the continental United States that was occupied during the war. The United States retook the islands after fierce fighting. It was at this point that the U.S. established a strong military presence in Alaska. A highway was also built from the state of Montana to the city of Fairbanks in Alaska, connecting the region to the lower 48 states for the first time.
Becoming a State
The U.S. Congress established Alaska as the Territory of Alaska in 1912. Many people thought that the territory should not become a state. However, the region became strategically important to the military during World War II. Also, oil was discovered making the territory economically important to the United States. On January 3, 1959 Alaska was admitted into the Union as the 49th state.
Alaska mountain range by Lana Shea, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Timeline
1728 - Danish explorer Vitus Bering discovers the Bering Strait.
1741 - Vitus Bering returns and explores the Alaskan coastline.
1776 - British explorer Captain James Cook makes contact with Alaskan natives while searching for the Northwest passage.
1784 - The Russians establish a permanent settlement on Kodiak Island.
1867 - Alaska is purchased from Russia by the United States for $7,200,000.
1872 - Gold is discovered in Alaska.
1897 - The Klondike Gold Rush begins. People rush to Alaska in hopes of striking it rich.
1900 - Juneau becomes the capital of Alaska.
1912 - Alaska becomes a U.S. territory.
1942 - Two of the Aleutian Islands are captured by Japan. The U.S. retakes the islands in 1943.
1959 - Alaska becomes a U.S. state.
1964 - A huge earthquake hits Alaska destroying some cities and heavily damaging Anchorage.
1977 - The Trans-Alaskan Pipeline is completed to help transport oil to the coastline. Over 16 billion barrels of oil have been shipped since its opening.
