A Brief History of Alaska

Alaska’s history spans millennia of Indigenous habitation via the Bering Land Bridge which connects it with Siberia.

Russian colonization of Alaska began in the 1700s on the back of the fur trade. It was purchased from Russia by the U.S in 1867 after which a gold rush spurred settlement.

Alaska gained US territorial status in 1912,. It was occupied by the Japanese during WWII, and finally became the 49th U.S. state in 1959.

First Peoples migrated here from Asia via the Bering Land Bridge as early as 10,000 BCE, with later waves establishing distinct Indigenous groups like Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Aleuts, and Athabascans.
The Russian fur traders established the first permanent European settlement on Kodiak Island in 1784, leading to intense fur trading and conflict with Indigenous peoples.
U.S. Secretary of State William Seward ‘s purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867 was labelled ‘Seward’s Folly”.Initially seen as a barren icebox, the discovery of gold in the 1890s sparked major population booms, bringing miners and settlers.
The opening of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1977 established Alaska as a major oil producer, alongside established industries in fishing, timber, and tourism.
A major theme since the mid-20th century involves balancing commercial interests with environmental protection, as vast federal lands are managed for parks, forests, and refuges.

Destination: Alaska