Status
Available
Collection
Publication
University of Washington Press (2006), 392 pages
Description
"Alaska, an American Colony traces Alaska's development from the early postcontact period through Russian America and U.S. territorial status and statehood, including an overview of the region's geography and of Alaska's Native peoples, whose involvement in the state's economic, political, and social life and development continues to this day. In contrast to the stereotype of Alaska as a place where rugged individualists triumph over a harsh environment, distinguished historian Stephen Haycox offers a less romantic, more complex history of Alaska's past and the similarities between Alaska and the American West."--
User reviews
LibraryThing member RGazala
The title of Stephen Haycox' book is slightly misleading, as the first half of the work details imperial Russia's "discovery," exploration and exploitation of Alaska before selling the massive territory to America in 1867 for $7.2 million (about two cents an acre). The book is a brief and
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interesting primer on Alaskan history from the middle of the 18th century to the dawn of the 21st. Haycox concentrates on sociocultural conflicts between natives and incomers; interminable discord between environmentalists and industrialists; and since statehood in 1959, strife between competing native, state, and federal sovereignty claims over land and resources. Particularly in the first half of the book, Haycox occasionally obsesses with minutia better left to a lengthier examination. Nonetheless, this is a good and well-written introduction to Alaskan history, including an ample bibliography for readers interested in learning more about America's "Last Frontier." Show Less
Language
Original language
English