-
First Europeans reach Alaska
The first European explorers to settle in Alaska were from from modern day Russia and Belarus. In 1732, explorers reached Alaska aboard a boat called the St. Gabriel. However, Russians were not the first people to discover Alaska! In fact, native people had been living there for more than 16,000 years ago! -
Period: to
Russian America
For more than 100 years, the place we now call Alaska was known by another name: Russian America. During this time, the Russian Empire set up settlements and forts throughout Alaska. -
Spanish establish a fort at Nootka Sound
The Russians weren't the only European power interested in Alaska. In 1789 a Spanish fort was built in Nootka Sound. The Spanish abandoned most of their settlements by 1800, but their memory lives on with Spanish place-names, such as Valdez and Cordova. -
Seward's Folly
In 1867 the American government purchased Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000. While that may sound like a lot of money, it's actually only about 2 cents for each acre of land! At the time, however, many Americans thought that the purchase was a bad deal, calling it a "polar bear garden". -
Alaska becomes a state
In 1958 Alaska became the 49th state to join the United States. This makes Alaska the largest state in the USA by a lot!
