Important Things
1.
Warren G. Harding was he first president to
visit Alaska.
2.
President Harding enjoyed Alaska, except for
Skagway. His was the only administration that attempted to deal with AK salmon
fisheries.
3.
They did this by installing a rule that made fisheries
operate hatcheries to release 4X the amount of fish taken the previous season.
4.
After a strike by fishermen, canaries and the
packers who ran them decided to rely more on traps for fish. This caused a
depletion of salmon due to over fishing.
5.
The federal government was highly involved,
favoring the packers case, from 1906 with the bill giving the secretary of
commerce the authority to regulate fishing until the 1930s.
6.
The Alaska railroad, going from Anchorage to
Nenana, was completed in 1923 and cost $23 million. The railroad was expensive
and many considered it frivolous.
7.
The era of airplanes began in the 1920s, this
was crucial to travel and economy in Alaska. Because of the large nature and
rugged terrain, planes as a way to bypass that were huge.
8.
The Coolidge administration had little interest
in Alaska and took much financial backing away from the territory. During this
time most Alaskans were living off the land with little from mainstream
American intersecting in rural Alaskan life.
9.
Under Roosevelt’s presidency, Alaska benefitted
indirectly. The cost and need for gold rose, thus the jobs for miners in the
states increased as did the revenue produced.
10. The
vast array of public-assistance programs the Roosevelt opened during the
depression extended to Alaska such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the
Native Youth Association helped the general public.
11. As
the Department of the Interior gained control of the fisheries department,
major overhaul went on in monitoring and using the salmon fisheries. They
wanted even more control of resource and Alaskans came together (packers and
fishermen) to oppose them.
12. The
Matanuska Valley Colony was a project envisioned as a part of Roosevelts
relocation to cities battle against the depression. It’s aim was to create an
agricultural hotspot in Alaska in the Matanuska Valley. It ultimately succeded
despite the colonists being unprepared and the costs tremendous.
13. There
was great opposition to the settlement and many Alaskans were opposed. In the
end, the experiment was not repeated with any other town.
14. The
native people were not ignored and more lands were given to them to further
their economic independence.
15. The
New Deal, as instigated by Roosevelt for a depression-ridden America,
ultimately didn’t do a ton for Alaska. However, the salmon industries were majorly
effected.
Klondike Gold Rush
Fairbanks Gold Rush