CH6 Important Things

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.