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Vitus Bering claimed Alaska for Russia. As fur traders continued to arrive, they brought sickness and disease that would prove to be detrimental to the Native peoples.
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Cook sails to discover an ice-free passage from Pacific to Atlantic. Discovers a wealth of sea otters. -
Tsar Paul I granted the Alaskan trade monopoly in 1799. Alexander Baranov was hired to manage the outfit.
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After years of studying and taking note of the new world around him, Veniaminov founded a bilingual school where both languages (Russian and Aleut) were taught. Veniaminov believed in a curriculum that was rich in both cultures. All of his work would later be undone by Jackson.
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Introduced to increase the production of logging in Tongass.
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Hundreds of whaling ships can be seen in the era of Kodiak Island as they hunt for precious resources from the whale (blubber and baleen). The creation of the harpoon gun is devastating to the whale population. This leads to hunting walrus for blubber and ivory.
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America purchases Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million.
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Reverend Sheldon Jackson founded a mission at Wrangell. He believed that bringing government and education to Alaska was a righteous cause. His efforts would lead to the first Industrial Boarding School for Natives and he would later be named Federal Education Agent for Alaska. Over the next 20 years, Jackson's framework of assimilation led to a decline of Native traditions.
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John Muir, naturalist, conservationist, scientist, and explorer, visits Alaska for the first time. His reports helped start Alaska's tourism industry.
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(1877)Sarah Dikinson, a Native Christian Educator, helped in the Mission at Wrangell. She was influential as a leader in many interests of the Native community. She was a key translator for the community. (1880) Sarah and her husband moved to the Chilkat region. In addition to running a store, Sarah started a school for Chilkat Tlingits.
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Tillie Paul opened a school in Klukwan, not far away from the mission at Wrangell. Pleased with her success, Tillie was given the "opportunity" to move to Sitka and teach at the town's Native school (Sitka Industrial Training School). Not only a teacher and interpreter, Tillie became the president of the Native temperance society in Sitka in 1891. Paul helped to preserve the language through the creation of a Tlingit dictionary.
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The Act brought brought government and civil law. This law would lead to Alaska becoming a U.S territory. The Organic Act also provided for public education.
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Jackson appointed as first Agent of Education. Diverging from Veniaminov's ideas of bilingual schools, Jackson believed in English-only instruction.
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A Native Tlingit, Frances was sent East to study in hopes that she would return to work as a missionary and teacher. She believed in educating herself so that she could return to Alaska for the betterment of her people. Frances worked with Tillie Paul in the development of the Tlingit dictionary. She died of tuberculosis.
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A group of explorers and scientists embark on a journey around Alaska to gain knowledge of the people and the land. John Muir was part of the crew. It was a harrowing and long journey.
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For the first time, Alaskan's were allowed to send non-voting delegates to Washington D.C.
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Alaska's non-voting congressional delegate. Known for being fair, he attempting to bring "law and order" to such a vast land. He set up court in Eagle. He was instrumental in moving things forward for the state.
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Alaska would become America's "chain of defense." 26,000 service men and women were stationed in the region. This change led to statehood.
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The first mill was built in Ketchikan. Production continued to increase from there. More mills were built in the years to come.
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First oil discovery made in 1957
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After years of debate, the Senate and the House pass Alaska as the 49th state.
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Alaska Claims Settlement Act of 1971 permitted extraction of petroleum from the land.
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Recognizing the deficit in labs and specialized instruction in rural villages, the state funded a tv program that hosted educational material.
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Oil production at an all time high. Production has seen a significant downward trend in the years since.
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This act gave 117 million for the "Broadband Infrastructure Program" to bring internet to rural villages.
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46 million given to improve broadband infrastructure in Southeast Alaska. “The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of not being connected, a familiar problem to many Alaskans for far too long. We must continue to help Alaskan communities have the telecommunications broadband infrastructure that is taken for granted elsewhere,” - Senator Murkowski.
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Keystone XL pipeline meant to carry oil to Texas was halted by the newly elected president, Joe Biden.
