Alaska Alive Timeline

  • Voyage of Bering

    Laid the basis for Russian claims to Alaska and opened up the fur trade.
  • Father Veniaminov Arrives in Alaska

    A Russian Orthodox missionary who did not try to suppress Native
    traditions and customs
  • New Archangel Seminary Opened

    54 students, 23 Native Alaskans
  • United States Purchases Alaska from Russia

  • First Formal School Established by Russians

  • Mission at Wrangell

    Founded by Rev. Sheldon Jackson
  • Brady's Mission School

    John Brady created an industrial boarding school for Native Alaskan students.
  • First Alaska Organic Act

    Created civil government and public education
  • Rev. Sheldon Jackson appointed as General Agent of Education

  • Liquor licensing system implemented in Alaska

  • Population: 63,592

    Gold Rush
  • The Nelson Act

    provided for the education of "white children and children of mixed blood who lead a civilized life" in those parts of the territory outside incorporated towns. The federal Bureau of Education in charge of this program.
  • Second Alaska Organic Act

    Made Alaska an official US territory
  • Alaska Railroad

    Rail line from Seward to Fairbanks built from 1915-1923. Used to transport mined resources from the interior to the port in Seward.
  • Indian Citizenship Act

    Granted citizenship to Native Americans, without terminating tribal rights or property
  • Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925

    requiring that voters in territorial elections be able to read and write the English language
  • BIA and Education

    the Bureau of Indian Affairs takes over the operation of rural schools from the Bureau of Education.
  • Al-Can Highway

    The Alaska-Canadian Highway was completed during World War II by the Army Corps of Engineers. In nine months 16,000 workers built 1,422 miles of roadway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Big Delta, Alaska. It was opened to tourist traffic in 1948.
  • BIA Schools

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs opened vocational boarding schools at Eklutna, Kanatak, Sitka and Wrangell for Alaska Natives.
  • Alaska Becomes a State

  • Population: 226,167

  • BIA turns over Alaskan Education

    the Bureau of Indian Affairs turned over most of its responsibilities for educating Alaska Natives to the State of Alaska
  • Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

  • Homeschooling Satute

    Alaska passes an extremely lax homeschool statute. There are no requirements—no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.