Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Alaskan History Is An Interesting Study

By Camille Nicholson


Alaskan history can be traced back to the Paleolithic societies of sixteen thousand BC. They formed settlements on the Western half of the state where many Inuit and other Native American tribes were living. Even though Spain claimed the entire Western Coast of North America in fourteen ninety-three, Spanish colonies were never settled in Alaska.

During the eighteenth century, the Aleutian Islands were visited regularly by the Russians. In most cases, the purpose of these journeys were to hunt for large game or to trade furs. These trips resulted in the formation of settlements such as trading posts, which were permanently established when the seventeen hundreds commenced.

The Russian fur traders quickly established peaceful relations with virtually all of the Native American tribes. In certain regions, however, there were strong conflicts among the settlers and the various tribes. Tragically, many of the Aleut tribes met their death by diseases transmitted by Russian travelers, as they had little or no immunity against foreign viruses and bacteria.

Tragically, in order to settle their own colonies, prominent Russian merchants came to Kodiak island and killed a high number of Koniaga Indians. By 1799, the settlement was being ruled by Alexander Baronov was the same individual who founded the Mikhailovsk settlement. Most Kodiak island natives did not survive this transition, even though some descendents of the Koniaga tribe still exist in this part of the state.

Also by the end of the eighteenth century, small colonies and trading posts were set up in the state by the British. Additionally, following Captain Cook's third voyage, Alaska's potential resources caught the attention of the British. Shortly after, a monopoly occurred in Alaska's fur trade, which was equally shared between the Americans and the British. This trend remained in place until the middle of the 19th century.

The Russians were never able to fully colonize Alaska because they were no match for the Americans and the English. Subsequently, their profits from trading in the various settlements were quite low, and eventually their financial troubles motivated them to sell the territory to America for a little over seven million dollars in 1867. This was the year that the United States flag was displayed for the first time in Alaska's history on the 18th October.

In eighteen eighty-four, Alaska was officially declared a district, and its economy and popularity expanded considerably throughout the eighteen ninety-six gold rush. The latter took place in the Yukon Territory. The first railroad in Alaska was built in 1902. Three Aleutian islands were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II, and they were not reclaimed by the United States Army until April of nineteen forty-three. There were almost 4000 Americans who died during this battle.

Although it belongs to the United States, the state of Alaska has managed in some way to maintain its own unique personality, which further adds to its attraction. Many individuals will likely always find Alaskan history exciting and interesting. This state is one of America's most intriguing, culturally diverse, and beautiful areas. Anyone who wishes to know more about this fascinating region should visit a local library or research Alaska online.




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