What is the history of Alaska?

It is generally believed that Alaskans came from northern China in Asia, came from the Bering Strait, and developed into Indians of different tribes. The ancestors of the Eskimos came from northern China. They crossed the Bering Strait from Asia to the Americas about 10,000 years ago, or passed through the frozen strait land bridge. Eskimos belong to an eastern Asian nation. They differ from American Indians in that they have more Asian characteristics. They share some cultural characteristics with their Asian contemporaries, such as the use of fire, dog training, and some special rituals. With medical methods, residential societies are divided into geographical groups. The Eskimos are the most widely distributed ethnic group among the Arctic indigenous people. Their residential area extends from the east coast of Asia to the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland, mainly in the North American continent. Usually Westerners divide Eskimos into Eastern Eskimos and Western Eskimos. Western Eskimos refer to the Inuktitut-speaking people of the Aleutian Islands, northwestern Alaska, and the Mackenzie Delta region of northwestern Canada. The Eskimo culture in these areas was heavily influenced by Asian and American Indian cultures in neighboring areas. The first recorded Europeans came from Russia and traveled to Alaska to capture sea otters for their pelts.

The history of Alaska is the process of humans discovering and adapting to this rich and diverse geographical environment. Ever since humans set foot on this land, it has had a profound impact on the humans living here. The First Alaskans lived during the Ice Age about 15,000 years ago, when most of the earth's surface was covered with ice and snow. Large tracts of land that are now sunk at the bottom of the ocean were then standing above sea level, and one of them connected Alaska to Siberia.

Anthropologists believe that Alaska Natives were nomadic hunters who traveled south from Siberia to North America. These first people to land in Alaska were mainly of three races: Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians. The Eskimos are scattered in the northern and western parts of Alaska; the Aleuts mainly settle in the Aleutian Islands; and the two major groups of Indians, the Tligits and the Athabascan, mainly settle in the southeast and central regions. The Tligits Indians thrived in Southeast Alaska, where forests are dense, fish are abundant, and food is plentiful. They are famous for their totem poles, ceremonial costumes, and exquisite carpets. They were also fierce warriors, and when the first Russians tried to enter Sitka with guns and artillery, they fought bravely to drive away the invaders. The Athabascan Indians living in the central region have a relatively difficult living environment, and starvation is a common occurrence. They are natural hunters, often chasing reindeer and large deer over long distances, fishing for salmon and other river fish, and trading furs and other items with other tribes.

The Eskimos lived to the north and west of the Athabascans, and they hunted, fished, and gathered berries and root plants in the barren lands during the short, cool summers. Intrepid Eskimos hunted whales, walruses, seals and polar bears in tiny skin canoes. They migrated with reindeer herds and hunted land and sea birds. The Aleuts, the smallest indigenous people in Alaska, live far from the ocean. Their clothing, food, shelter, heating and even tools come from the ocean and shore creatures. Although they were not good sailors, they sometimes paddled hundreds of miles in animal skin canoes to barter, visit friends, or raid enemies.

Russian Period

New Settlers It was not until the 17th century that anyone discovered this place that the Aleuts called "Alyeska" or "the land". In June 1741, Danish explorer Vitus Bering led a group of Russian sailors from Siberia to the east in search of the New World. On July 16, they discovered the mainland of Alaska, and the otters growing in Alaskan waters became the biggest discovery of this expedition. By 1745, Russian hunters had established a solid hunting base in the Aleutian Islands, thus beginning the colonization of Alaska. They were followed by British, Spanish and American explorers, but it was the Russians who really stayed and had a major impact on Alaska. They established the first permanent settlement on Kodiak Island in 1784. By 1799, their tentacles extended as far as Sitka on the southeast coast, and Russian sovereignty over Alaska was established.

Changed to the United States

When the Crimean War broke out in 1854, Russia was also afraid that the Alaska colony would be taken away by the British, so it proposed to sell Alaska to the United States; finally in March 1867 On March 29, the United States and Russia agreed to complete the transaction for US$7,200,000 (including handling fee of 200,000). The effective date of the land contract was October 18, 1867, so to this day, Alaska celebrates this day as Alaska Day. This land transaction became the largest land transaction in the history of world land transactions, and the average unit price was only two cents per acre.

However, the U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward, who was responsible for the land purchase, spent a large amount of money to buy the frozen Alaska. Many Americans at the time thought it was worthless and ridiculed it as "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox". But he said something, he said: "If I buy it now, maybe many years later, our descendants will benefit from buying this land."

With the discovery of gold and oil, Americans realized the importance of Alaska. After World War II, due to Alaska's strategic and economic relationship, Alaska was upgraded to the 49th state of the United States in 1959 (Hawaii was upgraded to the 50th state the following year). Nowadays, many airlines also fly from Asia to the East Coast of the United States through Alaska's airports, which saves a lot of flight time and fuel than direct flights.

Nonetheless, on October 18, 1867, the American Stars and Stripes flew for the first time in Alaska. However, in the years that followed, the federal government paid little attention to this latest territory. In 1877, it established a tax collection agency in SITKA, which was responsible for Alaska's approximately 1.53 million square miles of land and approximately 40,000 residents. It wasn't until gold was discovered that things changed.

Gold Rush

It has long been known that there is gold in Alaska, but the real formation of the gold rush was after Joe Junean and Richard Harris discovered gold. Hundreds of gold prospectors flocked to the golden city that was later named after Juneau. In 1897, gold was also discovered in the Klondike River in the Yukon region of Canada, so about 100,000 gold prospectors rushed there. In 1898, the hotspot of gold mining turned to the beach near Nome. Overnight, there were many tents here. By 1900, a total of 232 ships had brought nearly 18,000 gold prospectors. Gold draws the world's attention to Alaska. Newspapers reported on the anarchic chaos that occurred in SKAGWAY and NOME. Whether the reports were exaggerated or not, the need to establish the rule of law in Alaska was highlighted. Laws were enacted and a judicial system established in 1900, but it was not until 1912 that Alaska truly enjoyed the status of a U.S. territory.

Under the light of the gold rush, another less noticeable industry is quietly emerging. It will become the main pillar of Alaska's economic development, which is the salmon fishing and processing industry. By 1900, more than 50 salmon canneries were built between Ketchikan and Bristol Bay. In the decades that followed, the distant federal government was preoccupied with domestic and foreign troubles such as the Great Depression and war in Europe. But after declaring war on Japan in 1941, the federal government suddenly realized Alaska's strategic position.

In 1943, Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands. At that time, about 140,000 troops were stationed in Alaska. The Aleutian Battle (also known as the "Thousand Mile War") that followed became the second largest war on the United States since the American Civil War. 's first battle. In order to provide logistical supplies to the troops stationed in Alaska, a 1,523-mile-long gravel road was built from Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, which took only eight months. To this day, this highway is still the only land link between Alaska and other states in the United States.

Alaska is the 49th state of the United States and the largest state in the United States. In 1867, the U.S. government spent $7.2 million to purchase it from Tsarist Russia.

It is located in the northwest of the United States and is the land closest to the North Pole within the territory of the United States. It has long nights for almost half the year and days when the sun never sets for half the year. In winter, ice and snow block the roads, and local residents huddle in their houses, living a life similar to that of a polar bear hibernating. There are only three or four short months of the year when spring flowers bloom, making it suitable for travel. Whenever tourists from all over the world flock here, locals must seize this precious golden moment to earn enough to sustain their expenses for a year.

Chinese laborers entered

The city of Enah was named after a gold digger named Enah. In 1880 AD, Enah and his companions, led by local natives, discovered natural gold nuggets as big as broad beans here. Later exploration showed that the gold mine was rich in reserves and was one of the three largest gold mines in the world. one. Since then, gold prospectors have arrived one after another, turning this place from a desolate barren land into a bustling downtown. Nowadays, the gold mines here have long ceased production, but the shops, banks, bars, theaters, and casinos that served gold diggers in the past still exist, maintaining the appearance of century-old stores, but the service targets have become foreign tourists. The development history of the American West is inseparable from the gold rush of the 19th century, and the gold rush is closely related to the immigration history of overseas Chinese. First, gold mines were discovered in San Francisco (San Francisco) in the United States. Hundreds of bankrupt farmers along the coast of Fujian and Guangdong in China were sold as "piglets" and sent to the western United States to pan for gold. Therefore, San Francisco was It has a Chinese name - San Francisco. With the gradual development of the western United States and the construction of the western railway artery, Chinese workers moved northward to Canada and Alaska.

After the failure of China’s Reform Movement of 1898 in 1898, Liang Qichao made an inspection trip to the New World of America. He wrote in "Travels in the New World": "British Canada is divided into seven provinces, and the one along the Pacific coast is British Columbia (now translated as British Columbia). There are about 20,000 Chinese in Canada, and there are about 20,000 Chinese in Columbia. Sixty-seven out of ten. The capital of Columbia is called Victoria (now translated as Victoria), and its nearby metropolis is called Vancouver, commonly known as Saltwater Port by the Chinese; it is called New York Mainland (now translated as New Westminster). Commonly known as the Second Port, all Chinese businessmen and workers are gathered here. The approximate number of Chinese in Canada is as follows: more than 5,000 in Victoria; more than 4,000 in Vancouver; 1,000 in New York; and 5,000 in Yaoyin. One hundred; one thousand in Karabu; one thousand in Gali; more than two thousand in Mandiluo; more than two hundred in Attu; and the rest are scattered in various cities, about three thousand. When the C.P.R. Company built the large railway ten years ago, the Chinese came the most. In its heyday, there were no fewer than 70,000 or 80,000 people."

Liang Qichao's footprints only reached the waters of today's Victoria Harbor, and a little further north was Alaska. Unfortunately, he did not enter Alaska in the end, so he left no trace. Transcripts of Chinese immigrants in Alaska. We can only find traces of the Chinese in Alaska based on existing clues.

The gold mine was where early Chinese immigrants gathered. The first gold mines were scattered along rivers, and people used simple tools to pan for gold from the sand. Later, it entered the mining of underground mines. After 1913, the gold mines in Alaska experienced a technological revolution and adopted many advanced machinery and equipment, which greatly increased gold production. Now the mine has been abandoned and has become a tourist attraction. Pass through the 360-foot tunnel to reach the mining site of the vein. Visitors can spend a small amount of money to buy some mineral sand, and then try to sift and pan for gold in the water tank. The gold sand they get is their own, and they can take it to the gift shop and exchange it for cash.

Of course, the life of early gold diggers was not as romantic and satisfying as today's tourists. Their work was very hard and their income was very little. In order to get rid of mental depression and loneliness, it is inevitable to indulge after get off work: binge drinking, excessive gambling and whoring, so bars, casinos and brothels appeared in the town. At the same time, in order to maintain normal daily life, restaurants, shops, barber shops, grocery stores, laundry rooms, theaters, etc. are indispensable. The occupations of operating three swords - kitchen knives, scissors and razors are most closely related to the Chinese, because most of the people who open restaurants, laundries (including tailor shops) and barber shops are Chinese immigrants. On the one hand, they use these three knives to serve gold diggers, and on the other hand, they make a living by relying on these three knives. The early Chinese restaurants were commonly known as chop suey restaurants. It is said that Li Hongzhang served Americans with chop suey dishes when he visited the United States.

The fundamental reason why Chinese restaurants can survive and develop in the United States for a long time is that they conform to the eating and living habits of Chinese immigrants. No matter in the past or now, the main consumers of Chinese restaurants are mainly Chinese, and Westerners only come here occasionally to try new things. Grocery stores opened by Chinese also mainly serve Chinese people. Many products are imported directly from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, because many things are never produced or used in the United States. With the development of town scale, some public facilities have also begun to be built. City halls, courts, prisons, churches, parks, schools, and fire brigades appeared one after another. I saw a wooden sign in front of the city fire brigade, which said it was established in 1898, during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty in China. Fortunately, although Alaska's cities and towns have developed a lot, many places still remain the same as they were more than a hundred years ago. The vivid history can be reproduced here, which is the charm of its ability to attract tourists from all over the world. .

In addition to gold mines, the railway was another gathering place for Chinese workers. The construction of a railway transportation artery across the American continent is undoubtedly a miracle in the history of human architecture. Its natural conditions are difficult and dangerous, so that we can't help but be amazed when we take a train. There is a railway called the White Pass (WhitePass) in Skagway, Alaska. It was built in 1898 and can be called the "World Scenic Railway" because it meanders for 20 miles on the top of a 3,000-foot mountain. . The terrain is steep and the scenery is beautiful. It is only passable from May to September of the year, and the rest of the time is covered with snow, hence the name White Passage. Now, tourists can take a ride on the old-fashioned steam train by buying a ticket for US$103.

There is a "Death Railway" in Thailand, which was built by the Japanese using prisoners of war during World War II from Thailand to Myanmar. Because the climate there was hot and miasma was prevalent, on average, one prisoner of war died for every sleeper laid. If the Death Railroad is famous for its heat, then Alaska’s White Passage is formidable for its cold. It is conceivable that when this railway was first built, countless Chinese workers died in the snow.

In recent years, the outstanding contributions of the Chinese in the history of the development of the American West have been increasingly recognized by the American government and the public. Not only have they been added to many English writings, but permanent monuments have also been erected in some places. Reflects the progress of the times and society.

Overseas Chinese have also made important contributions to Alaska’s traditional fisheries. Alaska is rich in salmon. Every year from April to July, millions of salmon swim from the Pacific Ocean to Alaska's large and small harbors and forks to spawn in order to complete the last stage of their life. At this time, countless fish scales can often be seen shining in a shallow water, and fresh and fat fish can be seen everywhere. They are not only the winter food for polar bears, but also the targets of fishermen. Liang Qichao said in "Travel Notes on the New World": "The majority of workers in Columbia province make salmon. ... The Japanese here also work on fish. However, the Japanese gather fish, and the Chinese prepare fish. The daily wage per person for fishing is several times higher than for those who prepare fish. However, the Westerners here are restricted to those who are not British citizens. Therefore, even though they have this limited right, they cannot compete with other ethnic groups. ”

In fact, the largest salmon producing area is not in Columbia, but in Ketchikan, Alaska, which is the real salmon capital of the world. When we came here, the first thing we saw was an arched placard across the street, which read in English: Welcome to Alaska's first city - Kaichikeng, which is the salmon capital of the world. Nine out of ten shops on the street are related to salmon. We entered a store selling canned salmon. The door of the store says in Chinese: Free tasting is welcome. There are also Chinese words on the shelves in the store: We sell salmon roe. Obviously, this is a Chinese-owned store. I would love to talk to the owner and ask him when he came to Alaska and started the salmon business. Unfortunately, the boss was not here, and the Mexican employee didn't know anything about it. He only tried to sell canned wild salmon to me. In recent years, due to climate warming, environmental pollution, and over-hunting, there have been fewer and fewer wild salmon, so prices have soared. In general stores outside of Alaska, you can only buy artificially raised salmon products, and their taste and nutritional content are not the same as those of wild salmon.

How many Chinese people live in Alaska today? Because of the lack of statistics, no one can say for sure.

But what is certain is that the economic and social status of Alaskan Chinese has been greatly improved compared to the past. The most obvious example is that the grocery stores opened by Chinese in the past had a single range of products and were small in scale. Now, even gift shops have opened into large supermarkets. Customers can carry a basket and choose whatever they want inside. Many T-shirts with the word Alaska printed on them, as well as souvenirs and daily necessities with Indian and Eskimo cultural characteristics, are actually produced in China. As long as you pay a little attention, you can find the logo of madeinchina. These are all Chinese merchants who take full advantage of China's cheap labor and raw materials to organize supply in mainland China.

In addition to the Chinese who have settled in Alaska, there are also many Chinese among the many tourists who come to Alaska. Some are Chinese students who came to study in the United States, some are overseas Chinese scattered across the United States, and some are directly from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. China's reform and opening up has undoubtedly provided great convenience for mainland residents to travel abroad. The increase in income and the appreciation of the RMB have made their wallets no longer shy. It is not difficult to see Chinese people with black hair and yellow skin in places with tourist attractions, noisy places, or even inaccessible places.