May. 2, 2006 - Brief History of Alaska

The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. At first, many Americans thought the purchase was foolish. Then, in 1880 and again in 1896, gold was discovered in Alaska. This discovery brought thousands of people to the state. In 1942, the Japanese occupied two Alaskan islands during World War II. That same year the United States government built a military supply road to Alaska, called the Alaska Highway. This highway allowed people to move more freely from the lower 48 states to Alaska. After the war, many Americans agreed that Alaska should be given statehood. This was finally accomplished in 1959.