Russian Alaska
Which explorer led Russia to colonize Alaska?
Vitus Bering
Which Native group originally came from Southcentral/Interior Alaska?
Athabaskan
Why did Russia sell Alaska to the US?
They needed the money; the otters were mostly gone; they were tired of fighting with the Natives
How did commercialization affect furbearing animal populations?
They went down (specifically, otters were extinct in much of Alaska, fur seals were driven to the edge, and other animals were significantly reduced)
When did Alaska become a state?
1959
Which natural resource did Russians come here for?
Fur (otter, specifically)
Which Native group originally came from Arctic Alaska?
Where did the 1964 earthquake affect? What happened?
Affected Southcentral Alaska (Prince William Sound was the epicenter), caused massive destruction around Southcentral because of shaking and tsunamis
How did the gold rushes affect Alaska? Name where and one specific effect.
Example: They brought a ton of people up here. In Juneau, thousands of people arrived to mine gold, and Juneau became the capital of the state because of gold.
What was the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and why did it happen?
Massive oil spill in Prince William Sound, 1989, happened because captain crashed boat onto reef, spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Gulf of Alaska
Which Native group originally came from Southeast Alaska?
Tlingit/Haida/Tsimshian
Why did Alaskans want statehood? Name at least two reasons.
Control over fisheries, control over oil, representation in Congress, control over land usage in the state
How did whaling affect western Alaska and the Arctic?
Explain what the PFD is and how it works.
Example: It's a check we all get in October each year and it's a dividend from a state savings account funded by oil.
Why did Russians stick to the coasts of Alaska?
It was hard to explore the interior, and they were only interested in sea otter/exporting furs.
Which Native group originally came from the Aleutian Islands?
Unangan/Aleut
How did World War II affect Alaska? Give at least one specific way.
Massive number of bases built, Aleutian Islands invaded by Japan, Dutch Harbor bombed, Alaska Highway built
Where and when was oil first commercialized in Alaska?
How did statehood affect salmon runs in Alaska, and why?
They improved because Alaska banned fish traps, went to escapement management, etc
Which Native group originally came from Southwest Alaska?
Yupi'k
Name at least two differences between a territory and a state.
Territories are ruled by the federal government and don't have representation in Congress; states rule themselves and do have representatives in Congress.
How does oil pay for Alaska's government?
Royalties (taxes on a specific good)
How did the development of the pipeline affect Alaska Natives?
Started land claims settlement, pipeline crossing caused conflict about oil spills