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Alaska History

Alaska Information

Alaska History

The name “Alaska” was derived from an Aleut word Al-ay-ek-sa which means “Main Land”. Literally this word means the object towards which the action of sea is directed. The name Al-ay-ek-sa then became Alaksa, Alashka, Alaiska and then to what it is presently called the “Alaska”. Alaska was known as the “Territory of Baranov” during the period of early Russian ruler Alexander Baranov. Until 1867 it was known as Russian America, the name got changed when it was purchased by United States. Alaska was known as Seward’s Folly or Seward’s Icebox during the period of William Seward who was the Secretary of United States who proposed the purchase.

Human inhabitation in Alaska started about 15,000 years ago but the first written evidence for the inhabitation is less than 300 years old. Archeological evidences show that people lived in Alaska thousands of years ago. This constitutes the prehistory. The evidences regarding the inhabitation before the arrival of Euro Americans was obtained from the oral tradition of the natives who lived in Alaska. This constitutes the protohistory. Earlier Alaska was a part of Asia both physically and physiologically. It was separated from Asia by rising of the sea water which lead to the formation of Bering to the northern side and Chukchi sea to the southern side. Bering Strait forms connection between these two seas. Eskimos, Indians and Aleuts of the North America are believed have entered through this Bering Strait. Alaska is the place to which these Asians entered North America for the first time. The total population of Alaska during mid 1700 was between 70,000 and 80,000 and this was comprised of three groups of migrants. The migrants are Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts. The Indians included Tlingits, Haidas and Athabaskans. The Haidas and Tlingits occupied the Southeast Alaska and the Athabaskans occupied the Alaska interior. The Aleuts lived in the Aleutian Island and the Southwest Alaska. The Eskimos inhabited along the coast of Alaska.

In 1711 the Russian traders came to know about a “Great Land” located towards the east. Peter the Great who was the emperor or tsar of Russia between 1689 and 1725. He was interested in expanding the knowledge regarding the geography of his empire and also the entire world. Peter the Great was also interested in expanding the Russian commerce and in establishing trade routes. 1n 1717, Peter the Great visited the French Royal Academy of Sciences during his trip to France. One of the scientists there put forward the idea of finding whether the Asia and North America were connected or they existed as different continents. After his return from France, he ordered Feodor Luzhin and Ivan Yeverinov two of his subjects to explore the eastern frontier of his empire. They started their journey at 1717 and returned back at 1721. During the journey they crossed Kamchathka Peninsula from west to east and then travelled from the western cost of Kamchathka Peninsula to the Kurale Island. In early 1725 just before his death, Peter the Great send Vitus Bering, a Danish sea captain along with two assiatants to further explore the north pacific. 1n 1728, they reached Pacific Ocean sea port of Nizhane Kamchath. From here they built a ship, St. Gabriel, on 10 august they sailed the north along the Siberia coast which was later known as the Bering Strait and they sighted St Lawrance Island and one of the Diomede islands during their return voyage.  In 1730, they reached Bering reached St. Peters Burg. The natives who lived along the Siberia coat told Bering that Asia and America were separated. Bering then sailed back to Russia with this information given by Siberian Natives. But when he reached back no one agreed with Bering as he did not find it himself.

In 1733, Bering was approved for a second expedition along with Wilhelm Steller and other assistants by the Russian Senate. 1n July 15, 1741 one of the Bering’s assistant Alexai Chirikof sighted Alaska for the first time but they did not make landing. Thus the Europeans found Alaska. On the next day, 16th July, Mt. St. Elias was sighted by Bering. Bering passed away on 8th Dec 1741 and was buried on Bering Island. The explorers have found the existence of many fur bearing animals in the Alaska and the scientific report on the north Pacific fur seal came for the first time on 1742. In 1742, the Russians began concentrated hunting of the sea otters. In 1778, Captain James Cookhouse explored the Artic Ocean during his expedition in search of Northwest Passage. The first settlement of White in Alaska occurred on 1784. In 1799, Alexander Baranov, the director of Russian settlement named the first Russian governor of Alaska and exclusive trading rights were granted to the Russian American Company.

In 1867, the U.S purchased Alaska from Russia. In 1899, the local government was organized. The Alaska’s first capital was New Archangel. 1n 1980s, gold mining brought thousands of miners and settlers in Alaska. In 1912 Alaska was granted official territorial status and Juneau was proclaimed as the new capital of Alaska. In1959, January 3, Alaska was declared officially as a state.

Alaska Regions

• Southcentral
• Southeastern or Panhandle
• Interior
• Southwest
• Arctic or North Slope

Historical Populations in Alaska

State Symbols

• State Motto: North to the Future
• Nick Names: "The Last Frontier" or "Land of the Midnight Sun" or "Seward's Icebox"
• State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan
• State Fish: King Salmon
• State Flower: wild/native Forget-Me-Not
• State Fossil: Woolly Mammoth
• State Gem: Jade
• State Insect: Four-spot skimmer dragonfly
• State Land Mammal: Moose
• State Marine Mammal: Bowhead Whale
• State Mineral: Gold
• State Song: "Alaska's Flag"
• State Sport: Dog Mushing
• State Tree: Sitka Spruce
• State Dog: Alaskan Malamute
• State Soil: Tanana

Religion in Alaska

• Christian - 69.0%
  • Protestant-47.0%
    • Evangelical Protestant - 26.0%
    • Mainline Protestant - 19.0%
    • Black Protestant - 2.0%
  • Roman Catholic - 14.0%
  • Orthodoxy - 13.0%
  • Mormon - 4.0%
  • Jehovah's Witnesses - <0.5%
  • Other Christian - <0.5%

Other Religions

• Jewish - <0.5%
• Buddhist-<0.5%
• Islam - 1.0%
• Hindu - <0.5%
• Other World Religions - <0.5%
• Other Faiths - 2.0%
• Unaffiliated - 27.0%
• Refused to answer - 1.0%

Highways by Number

Highways by Name

Natural Gas in Alaska