For many people, the history of Alaska is lost, and most individuals are not aware of the fact that it has the largest terrain in the United States of America. It was also the 49th state to be included in the union. In 1867, the land was bought over by the US Government from the Russians. It was then called "Seward's Folly", in honor of State secretary William Seward. Many believed that the territory was not worth anything, but as gold was discovered in the 1890's, a whole new idea of prospects and settlers came.
The region borders the Beaufort Sea and the vast Arctic, its Southern borders include the Bering Sea, and the Pacific; on the Eastern side you get the British Columbia province and the Yukon Territory, but also on the Western side you are confronted by the stunning Bering Sea, the Arctic, Bering Strait and the Chukchi Sea.
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.
Modern history starts with expeditions led by the Russians. The initial party was led by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitas Bering took place in 1741. It was in the year 1784 that the first settlement on Kodiak Island was established. 15 years later, a Russian-American Enterprise took over the area. A Mr. Aleksandr Baranov, the firm's director, made the area the company's headquarters. In 1802, a group of Tlingit Indians overtook Sitka, but two years later they lost it, as well as the war with Russian colonizers.
The complete inability of the Russians to ensure self-sustainment for the establishments had restricted their capacity to control and develop the area. In addition, the czarist government saw the colonies as utterly useless and money-consuming. In the year 1867, as a result of negotiations carried by American Secretary of State, William Seward, Russia finally agreed to sell their territories to the United States for the price of just over $7000000. From 1867 until the first Organic Act was issued in 1884, the region was administered by a federal governor.
The rate of economic growth quickened with the discovery of gold in 1880. Prospectors started appearing, leading to several gold strikes on the Forty Mile River in the year 1886. The major strike in the Canadian Klondike region in 1896 was the one that sparked a huge stampede for the Yukon Valley and other places of Alaska. This gold rush made it possible for the establishment of some permanent towns.
Ongoing development in the fishing and timber sectors also increased the area's prosperity, in spite of the fact that the region suffered from the lack of insufficient transport facilities. A crucial achievement came in 1914, when the railroad construction started. This was to connect Seward, a newly-built town, with 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.
The region borders the Beaufort Sea and the vast Arctic, its Southern borders include the Bering Sea, and the Pacific; on the Eastern side you get the British Columbia province and the Yukon Territory, but also on the Western side you are confronted by the stunning Bering Sea, the Arctic, Bering Strait and the Chukchi Sea.
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.
Modern history starts with expeditions led by the Russians. The initial party was led by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitas Bering took place in 1741. It was in the year 1784 that the first settlement on Kodiak Island was established. 15 years later, a Russian-American Enterprise took over the area. A Mr. Aleksandr Baranov, the firm's director, made the area the company's headquarters. In 1802, a group of Tlingit Indians overtook Sitka, but two years later they lost it, as well as the war with Russian colonizers.
The complete inability of the Russians to ensure self-sustainment for the establishments had restricted their capacity to control and develop the area. In addition, the czarist government saw the colonies as utterly useless and money-consuming. In the year 1867, as a result of negotiations carried by American Secretary of State, William Seward, Russia finally agreed to sell their territories to the United States for the price of just over $7000000. From 1867 until the first Organic Act was issued in 1884, the region was administered by a federal governor.
The rate of economic growth quickened with the discovery of gold in 1880. Prospectors started appearing, leading to several gold strikes on the Forty Mile River in the year 1886. The major strike in the Canadian Klondike region in 1896 was the one that sparked a huge stampede for the Yukon Valley and other places of Alaska. This gold rush made it possible for the establishment of some permanent towns.
Ongoing development in the fishing and timber sectors also increased the area's prosperity, in spite of the fact that the region suffered from the lack of insufficient transport facilities. A crucial achievement came in 1914, when the railroad construction started. This was to connect Seward, a newly-built town, with 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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