Module VII - American Period: Society

Essential Question:  How have the settlement patterns of Alaska been a reflection of the natural landscape, distance, resources, and the economy?





As can be seen from the above map, the face of Alaska reflects past and current trends in transportation and commerce.  I purposefully made it ginormous to make individual communities, roadways, railroads and the ever present mountain ranges more visible.

Alaskan packers and miners row boat on
Yukon River, Alaska, ca. 1901

From the very beginning, people have built communities in Alaska near the ocean or major waterways that acted as travel routes.  Even in the winter, frozen rivers acted as highways for dog teams.  Because of topography, transportation by boat was the easiest way for people to get from point A to B.

This photo, used by author Janet Klein in her book "Kachemak
Bay Communities — Their History, Their Mysteries," indicates
this view of Homer would have greeted anyone in 1901. The
boardwalk, train rails, activity activity and sacks which are
probably full of coal suggest a permanent community.
However, Klein says, Homer was abandoned in 1902
and only a caretaker lived there in 1907.

Initially, after the purchase of Alaska, Americans replaced the Russians who left and utilized the communities they had established.  After that, and until the discovery of gold in 1898,  a few communities in Southeast Alaska were founded based on the development of local activities such as mining, logging, and fishing.  In Southcentral Alaska, cannery sites grew into villages and in Northwest Alaska whaling stations were established.


The 110 mile WP&YR Railroad was completed with the
driving of the golden spike on July 29, 1900 in Carcross Yukon
 connecting the deep water port of Skagway Alaska to Whitehorse
 Yukon and beyond to northwest Canada and interior Alaska.

The 1898 Klondike gold rush changed the face of Alaska.  The population nearly doubled virtually overnight to about 63,000.  Communities near where the gold was found came to be such as Nome, Fairbanks, and Circle City.  Other towns, such as Skagway, Valdez, and Dyea came into existence as supply camps to support those who came to Alaska seeking their fortunes.








Anchorage July 1, 1915

  Later, into the 1900's, establishment of new communities occurred as roads, railroads, and the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System were built.  Each required a large labor pool.  Seward, Cordova, Anchorage, and Nenana are just some of the communities that resulted from this need for workers.  Today, it is little wonder that Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, lies at the confluence of road, rail, and ocean travel.

(Keep reading!)



Examine Question:  What are the reasons for Alaska population trends? (Identify reasons for increases and decreases.)

By 1910, the allure of fame and fortune was over as the gold played out. The population went down, yet it was still higher than it was before the gold rush began. Work could still be found associated with mining, fishing, or government funded construction projects. There was a further drop as America entered World War I. During this time, Alaska had the highest military recruitment per capita than any of the states. (This was significant because Alaska would not become a state for almost another half century!)

Building the Alaska-Canada Highway

Along came World War II and national defense put Alaska in the forefront.  The construction of military installations (including army posts, naval stations, and air fields) and major roads, like the Glenn and Alaska-Canada Highway brought thousands of military personnel and civilians to Alaska. Then.........

Three Blog Reviews:
Peter's Alaska Blog:
I like how Peter took his essential question and answered it on a local basis.  Great information about his area of the state.  Well done!

Learn Alaska or Bust:
Chris did a nice job of answering his question in a creative way.  I like how he integrated and tied all his questions together.  Nicely done.  Great moose picture also!

Surveying Alaska's History:
I enjoyed Robin's dissertation on education and health care.  The use of pictures and links in the text enhanced the theme.  Good job!

Evaluate:  I am not sure if it was the spring break thing or what, but I had a hard time getting into this module.  Not that it wasn't interesting, it was.  I found myself reading and rereading the material, then reading and rereading the questions trying to decide which questions I wanted to answer.  I would choose, begin on a question and then change my mind and start over with another question.  As it turned out, I seemed to have an infatuation with pictures on this module. So much for me getting this module done early so that I could get a jump on the next one.