Module 5: American Period: Alaska's Economy

What have been the major components of the Alaska economy during the American period of 1867-present?

My husband panning for gold in waterfall pool.

During the early American period, the economy of Alaska focused on commercial whaling and fur trapping and trading that the Russians had heavily influenced.  As we moved into the 1900 however, a shift started occurring into the collection of other natural resources.  After the end of commercial whaling, commercial fishing began to take over and mining became extremely popular after the several Alaskan gold rushes (to read more about the earliest Alaska gold rushes, click here)

After the gold rushes brought many people into Alaska, cities and towns needed to be developed which is turn led to the logging and timber industry.  This industry continues today and is heavily prominent on Prince of Wales
Island in which I live.

The biggest influence on the Alaskan economy came in the form of the oil boom and the creation of the Alaskan Pipeline. The oil industry of Alaska serves as the largest revenue for the state and greatly impacts the residents of Alaska in the form of the PFD checks. 

   My husband learning the ropes of salmon fishing.

Another great article on the history of the Alaskan oil industry can be read here

The final two components of the Alaskan economy are the Seafood and Tourism markets.  Alaska is one of the largest producers of salmon and most coastal towns rely heavily on commercial fishing and seafood processing as their income.

Because Alaska still seems to be somewhat of an "unknown" land with vast areas left undiscovered, people are flocking to the area.  Alaskan cruises have become wildly popular while fall big game hunting trips have also attracted many tourists from other areas.

These three cruise ships greeted my husband and I in Ketchikan as we arrived on the Alaskan Marine Highway Ferry.

What were the primary motivations for Americans moving to Alaska in the late 1800's?

Every man's hope during the Alaska Klondike Gold Rush

   

The primary motivation for Americans moving to Alaska was the idea of wealth and prosperity when gold was found.  The chance to find a better life and to gain new experiences in an unknown land peaked American's interest.  Others were also moving to Alaska to map out territories and continue the spread of Christianity that was first brought by the Russians.

These motivations are still very similar to some people moving to Alaska today.  For example, unknown and "wild" areas intrigue our natural curiosity as humans.  When contemplating our move, my husband and I were immediately drawn to Alaska for its unique differences and a different pace of life.  Also, as seen with the recent shows on the discovery channel, some are still moving here in hopes of finding the American dream through gold and logging industries.  


Extend:  Describe the economic base for your area of Alaska and share any current issues confronting the local residents.  

An aerial view of Craig on Prince of Wales Island. 

On Prince of Wales Island, the economic base is made up of four key components; federal government projects (forest service etc.), logging, commercial fishing, and tourism.  These four economic areas have remained fairly consistent throughout time here on the island.
A forth component that would affect local residents is the talk of the rehabilitation of an old uranium and rare earth metal mine on the island.  This component
would create more jobs and a shift
in the states revenue and resident life here on the island.
Click here to read more about the current Bokan Mountain Mine Project.


Module 5 Evaluation

Although this week's module contained a wealth of information and numbers based upon the economy, I feel that it was extremely valuable in seeing how the past economy shapes our economy today.  It is interesting to look at the cause effect relationships of different key points in history to determine how we got to where we are now. 

Colleague Reviews

I enjoyed Nikki's blog and the notation of the Russian's legacy in relation to the naming of places in Alaska.  

I loved how Brenda gave multiple examples of contact between the Russians and groups of Alaskans and how they varied in their encounters and attitudes towards each other.  

Lane, I really liked your descriptions and maps of the Spanish peoples quests in Alaska.