Car New and Reviews

For many people, the history of Alaska is a rather interesting topic. This are has the largest surface in the United States of America, and is the 49th state to become part of the confederacy. It is situated in the extreme North-West of the continent, and by the time it was acquired by the U. S. A. From Russia in 1867, it was nicknamed "Seward's Folly", after the American secretary William Seward, the man who had arranged the transaction. At that time, many feared that the territory had nothing of value and was a complete waste, but the discovery of gold in the 1890's had set the way for new settlers and prospects.

The state borders the vast Arctic and the Beaufort Sea. To the South you will find the Alaskan Gulf, the Pacific, as well as the Bering Sea. East boasts the province called British Columbia but also the Canadian Yukon Territory, while the West offers the Bering Sea, Arctic, Bering Strait and 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 begins with the expeditions led by Russian parties. The first one came in 1741, and was lead by Aleksei Chirikov and Vitas Bering. By the year 1784, the first settlement was complete, and was situated on Kodiak Island. 15 years later, a Russian-American company had acquired monopoly over the area. Aleksandr Baranov, head of the corporation made Sitka the company's headquarters. In 1802, some Tlingit Indians took over area, but after two years they lost the town and the war to the 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 it may be the least populated state in North-America, the history of Alaska shows that it is certainly an important economic player. Due to its vast resources, it provides many jobs and opportunities to a large number of people. There are many more amazing facts that tell a wonderful story about how this area developed into what it is today.