Alaska History

The beautiful, rich, and vast land known as Alaska has a very rich history. The territory was first purchased by the United States for $7.2 million in March of 1867. The possession was known as “Seward’s Folly,” named after the Secretary of State who made the agreement for purchase. It was also jokingly known as “Seward’s Icebox.” Originally, settlers gathered in Alaska in fairly large numbers. Approximately 32,000 people migrated there, but out of that total only about 420 or so were white. The rest of those who made Alaska their home were Native American Indians. Once the big Gold Rush came about, another 30,000 people rushed to Alaska, particularly to cities such as Fairbanks and Seward on a quest for gold. This jumped the state’s population to almost double within a decade.

By 1916, Alaska had almost 60,000 residents. The state had become an important piece of the American landscape. Even as early as the 1920’s, disputes over fishing conservation and land were prevalent. The two largest exports at the time were fish and copper, so when the Great Depression hit, Alaska suffered a hard loss. Once the New Deal came into effect, the state’s income rose, and the people there began to prosper once more. In 1940, Congress had appropriated money for military funding, and upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor decided to use some of this money for bringing military bases to Alaska. In addition, the Alaska Highway was constructed. It was the first major highway to be built in the state, and stretched 1,500 miles long from Fairbanks all the way to British Columbia. Eventually, the military population rose. While Alaska belonged to the US for many decades, it wasn’t until 1958 that it officially gained statehood. President Eisenhower signed it into statehood that year, and Alaska became the 49th state. Today, Alaska remains one of our country’s most valuable resources. It is a state rich with heritage, wildlife, and beauty.