Module VI - American Period: Transportation & Communcation

Essential Question: What are issues facing Alaskans Today related to transportation and communication?
The obstacles of the past are still relevant today in Alaska. Alaskans continue to struggle to keep up with the constant changing of communication and transportation. As a State that is so large in size, approximately 586, 412 sq. miles, and having one of the smallest populations 772, 718 . Both factors make it hard to keep up with cost effectiveness. The cost of living in Alaska is already high compared to the lower 48 and would be much higher without the developed transportation systems in place now, since a lot of business that Alaskans deal with are located in the lower 48.

Climate issues in Alaska is another concern. Permafrost and extreme weather have been a concern for both transportation and communication.  The window for construction in Alaska is very short and when that window is open the permafrost adds a dynamic that takes special consideration to deal with.  This has added an environmental dimension to infrastructure development that other states do not have to deal with.

The airlines have assisted with accessibility to places. Ted Stevens airport is less than 9.5 hours from 90% of the industrial world; which assists with business travel and leisure. As mentioned in other modules though, airfares are largely dependent on gas prices and thus the market for oil, so if that goes up then so does the airfare.

Another mode of transportation in Alaska that has had and continues to have concerns is ocean and river transportation. As mentioned in the Explore Alaska module, between 80-90% of all goods shipped to Alaska arrive by water to coastal ports and then moved to the interior via the river-ways and other modes of transportation. Alaskans depend on it for the delivery of necessities for life: food, shelter and energy

sewardalaskatransport.com

According to the Alaska History and Cultural Studies article, Alaskan waters are said to be one of the three most challenging areas in the world for sailors.  A shortage in icebreaker is also a concern for Alaska and sometimes we have to rely on outside resources.  Rivers and coastal zones are not always free of ice and cannot always be navigable year round.  Many towns/villages must plan for the winter and a lack of access to the outside world.  The issue of Nome this winter is a perfect example.  The Russian fuel tanker that Nome had chartered to bring in the final winter oil shipment faced the possibility of not making it, were it not for the assistance of an icebreaker.

Along with the airlines adding greater access, so did telecommunications. In 2005 AT&T merged with SBC Communications Inc. to become one of the largest companies in the World and this merge has helped in enhancing technology in Alaska. Although there is enhanced technology today, Alaska continues to struggle to keep up with the constant changing of communication worldwide due costliness of broad bend fiber optic transmission systems. Proximity and accessibility is also an issue in Alaska for availability of communication.  I remember the days of only have a few channels and now with access to satellite and skype I don't feel nearly as isolated as I did growing up in Alaska during the 1980's.

Examine Question: Identify 3 major railroads in Alaska History. Where?When?Why? Ownership? Current Status?

Copper River Bridge 27A, Copper River
and NW Railroad ca. 1918
VILDA-AMRC-b62-1-1472

The 3 major railroads in Alaskan History are: The White Pass & Yukon Railway, Copper River &Northwestern Railway and The Alaska Railroad. All of which have great importance in Alaska's History and are interconnected with economic growth and development.

The first railroad mentioned; The White Pass& Yukon was built in 1898 to assist the Gold rush Stampede. The railroad connected Skagway and Whitehorse. The railroad carried Ore from Canadian mines to Skagway and also served as transportation for tourists.In 1970's a road was built that connected Skagway to Whitehorse and thus a decrease in rail traffic. Today the railroad no longer hauls Ore from mines, but operates seasonally for tourists.

The Copper River & Northwestern Railroad was also constructed due to mineral findings. In 1905 Wealthy East Coast financier's where persuaded to build the Railroad. In 1911, the 196 mile track was completed. These freight trains carried shipment to Cordova from the mines. Although, it was built to assist the marketing of copper, the railroad also made access to gold placers easier.  Copper prices fell in the 1920s and the Kennecott mines closed in 1932. 1938 marked the closing of the railroad, except there was 13 miles of the line between Cordova and Cordova airport that were operational during World War II and 60 miles of the line between Chitina and McCarthy were used for light tram traffic until 1947, then all general use was closed.


http://alaskarailroad.com/travel/PhotoGallery/tabid/320/Default.aspx

In March of 1902 Ballaine and other Seattle backers organized the Alaska Central Railroad Company with $30 million capital. The railroad was to begin at Resurrection Bay, where the Russians had built ships. The money had soon ran out and then came new financial support  from Chicago financiers backed by a Canadian bank. The new owners completed 52 more miles before they too went bankrupt in 1909. On March 12, 1914, President Wilson signed a bill into law that authorized a government-built Alaska railroad. The president was to select one or more routes from ice-free ports to Interior Alaska. Construction could include a total of 1,000 miles of track. President Wilson selects a railroad route that would run from Seward to the Tanana River. Construction continued north of Anchorage and south of Fairbanks to Healy. The railroad struggled financially and tourism was promoted vigorously to assist with costs.

The Alaska railroad was later effected by WWII due to the increased use to move supplies. Workforce was limited, so women were asked to help on the rail. The Military in 1950's  and the  pipeline in 1970's helped with the cost of keeping it running.  Despite, the Alaska Railroad being the only federally owned railroad, the costs were always a constant drain. In 1984 Alaska arranged to buy the railroad to ensure its continual existence.

The Alaska Railroad is still in existence today and used primarily for tourism and freight services. The Alaska railroad is also keeping up with being Green, and as mentioned in this link discusses some of the positive environmental aspects of taking the railroad as means of transportation. These issues will hopefully assist in keeping The Alaska Railroad going: http://alaskarailroad.com/corporate/Corporate/Environmental/tabid/414/Default.aspx

Extend: What other useful information, insights/and or resources have you discovered?

Throughout this module I was awakened with awareness of how isolated some places in Alaska must have felt and continue to feel due to lack of communication services and transportation availability. The article on icebreakers was of great interest to me,  because I had just seen an issue about funding for icebreakers in the news. After reading this module I  understand the importance of this issue more. Lastly, I was unaware of the amazing hard work that was put into all modes of transportation in Alaska. I have driven the Alaska Highway a few times and am amazed of the beauty, but also the great significance it had to connecting Alaska with the lower 48. The Alaska History and Cultural studies articles have been very useful in obtaining necessary information.

Evaluate:
The railroad section was interesting to me, because I feel it is such an important part of Alaska's history. I really wish there was more information on communication and growth today. Overall this offered a lot of information on transportation. I, at times felt like the information was a little scattered but am realizing how all modules are interconnected and excited to learn more about this amazing State!

Blogs I have visited:

http://dianeisexploringalaska.blogspot.com/

 It was interesting to find out why Alaska was purchased

http://excitedaboutalaska.blogspot.com/

Enjoyed the description of Alaska fishing and changes

http://www.learnalaska.blogspot.com/

Enjoyed learning about agriculture, because I would love to have a garden or fresh vegetables in Alaska!

Module V: American Period Alaska's Economy

Essential Question:How is the Alaska economy a reflection of diverse, and sometimes conflicting,  perspectives of the natural landscape?


Alaska's economy has always been dependent upon conflicting ideas and much debate over financial gain over land protection. Alaska was initially established by the United States as a military district. After recognizing all the natural resources that were available things tended to shift a little. Alaska's economy is built largely on extraction of those natural resouces.


When I was thinking of one of the first accounts of extraction, it brough me back to the great Gold Rush!  I then rememebered, Jack London's stories and Robert Service's poem "The creamation of Sam Mcgee" This is a prime example of how Alaska tends to  have boom bust economy. When things are good, such as the Gold they are really good but when it runs out, or the season is short it then has a down fall. I believe that this boom bust economy also attributes the diverse views of what should and should not be done in Alaska. Gold mining later tended to change due to technology, and so did the concerns for the environment and water quality left by mining materials.  Along with the example of Gold mining, I know that the kennicott copper mine is also a good example Alaska's economys conflicting views.There were many political aspects which resulted in the close of these mines: http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=180


http://commerce.alaska.gov/ded/dev/minerals/mine1.htm


Mining in Alaska is not the only conflicting perspective. The fishing industry and Timber has also seen diverse perspectives and changes. Fishing industry started off being managed primariy by the federal government and now there is a dual State/Federal management in the waters to proctect fish and fishing rights. The Timber industry also faces great debate over the significance of industry. It is important to point out that in 1891 congress passed the first Forest Reserve Act, Later The Tongass National Forest and Chugach National Forest are created to protect land and help regulate logging in Alaska. These are all great examples of conflicting perspectives in regards to the landscape in Alaska.


The last example, I believe is one of the most known and continual debate over, that is Oil drilling...  Oil was discovered in Prudhoe bay in 1968,The pipeline was completed in 1977 and thus began the huge economic gain in Alaska.To this day there are still debates over drilling, as evidenced by this article: http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=117
85% of the states budget is supported by oil revenues; therefore many sectors of the economy are dependent upon world oil prices. These industried continue to have conflicting perspectives when it comes to Alaska's landscape and extraction. If we are so dependent on the worlds oil prices, this also effects our need and want to be economically independent.


As mentioned above, the conflicting perspectives continue over drilling in Alaska and one area in particular: ANWR. Throughout this module it is apparant how dependent Alaska's economy is on Federal grants and extraction of natural resouces. Despite this dependence, I wonder does the financial gain out weigh the potential environmental devastation? This is not only a local issue, but tends to be a fragile global issue as well. The article below explains the significance and pertinence of either drilling or keeping this landscape pristine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_National_Wildlife_Refugehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_National_Wildlife_Refuge

In conclusion, essentially the economy is driven by three major things today: Oil, tourism and fishing. There is also a large Timber industry, mining and agriculture. Each of these areas provides very diverse perspectives through out the history of Alaska's economy. My personal  belief after reading this module is; there has to be a happy medium, where we are valuing our economic natural resources but also protecting our treasured lands.  I am not going to pretend to know the answer to this, but as listed above I know that there are measure's that have been put in place such as the Forrest Protection Act, Fish and Game management as well as non-profit agencys working hard to protect the Last Frontier. I can't imagine continuing to live on a boom bust economy forever, I would equate it to living pay check to pay check and some of us know how stressful that can be... I am hopeful that we can work together to keep Alaska the beautiful the last frontier!


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


According to this  Alaska History and Cultural Studies article: http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=166  Some of the reasons individuals came to Alaska are:

•  The government sent them
• others came for economic reasons such as; trade, merchants, fur hunters, prospectors and miners.

The government sent Soldiers and officials to assist with the Native tribe relations, they were used to hostility from the Native tribes West of the Mississippi River and assumed the same would be true in Alaska.The military was not the only government agency sent over, custom officials and Tresury Department were also sent, to collect taxes and enforce laws against smuggling. The Navy was sent to protect American interests in the Pacific Ocean.


There were many merchants, miners, smugglers and traders who moved to Alaska.They moved to Alaska, because they saw the potential in Sitka due to its location for trade and resources. The Americans did well when they first arrived in Sitka and emptied the Russian goods, however, after the Russians left so did their money. According to an Army officer who took census in 1870 demonstrated a 50% decline in the population.sitka declines


Lastly, there were those who continued to come for exploration. There was still a need for coastal charts and maps. Many scientists were interested in Alaska's geology and environment. I personally believe that these all continue to be the reasons why people are moving up here. Alaska houses huge military bases, individuals are moving due to wanting to make a livelihood and others move for the great adventure and a land full of exploration!



Extend: Describe the economic base for your area of Alaska and share any current issues confronting the local residents.
 
I currently live in Anchorage, Alaska where I see a lot of our City's economic base being Federally funded. I work at a school, where at least 38% of the population is military students. As we are facing tough economic times globally, this in turn has effected our military bases and jobs have been cut. The continual cuts are causing stress on students and families in my community. This website describes the up-coming budget cuts:
http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business-Monthly/February-2012/How-will-the-2013-Defense-Budget-Cuts-Affect-Alaska/
If the military cuts jobs, this will have a trickle down effect in Anchorage. If there are less jobs and less people to make purchases, this effects the rest of the economy.


Evaluation:
This module was a little overwhelming for me, I felt like it had too much at once. It was difficult to stay focused. I would have rather it was broken down into smaller sections so that I could get a better grasp and spend more time on each section. Although, it was overwhelming I did enjoy the videos and the wealth of information in regards to the start of prudhoe bay pipeline.


Blogs I have visited:
http://edexplorationinak.blogspot.com/
I enjoyed her explaination of the explorers in Alaska

http://hollyalaskahistory.blogspot.com/
Holly's font style was very appealing and I enjoyed her review.

http://latitude61alaska.blogspot.com/
His explaination of the Russian American company and how trade was effected was interesting.

Module IV Russian America

Essential Question: What is the legacy of the Russian Colonization of Alaska?
The legacy of the Russian Colonization runs deep in Alaska, and no I am not talking about Sarah Palin "seeing Russia from the back yard"... As mentioned in all of my blogs I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and remember taking my Grandparents to visit the old Russian Orthodox churches as a kid. This brings me to the information in this module.

The first Orthodox priests arrived in Alaska in the 1790's. The Russians started business and  expanded their explorations, due to the finding of all of the natural resources that could be used for international trade. Many Russian business men married Native Alaskan women and thus leave behind children with both Russian and Native Alaskan heritage. In many areas throughout Alaska their still are many who are tri-lingual; speaking Native, Russian-Slavic and English.

The Bering Strait, is  also a prime example of left behind Russian legacy. It is named after a Russian Navy Captain -Lieutennant. Churches and names of places are not  the only legacy Russia left behind, there is also an abundant amount of artwork that be be viewed along with the language that is still spoken in many places throughout Alaska. Many Russian Orthodox missionaries started schools, orphanages and medical facilities. Buildings used by the Russians for fur trade still remain to this day in Kodiak. The Russian Orhodox church continues to be an intrical part of Southeast , Southwest and Southcentral Alaska as indicated in this article:

http  ://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/destination-hunter/north-america/united-states/west/alaska/alaska-history-heritage.html

On a personal observation,  this is the only state that I know that offers Russian immersion classes in our school systems, and at Saturday Market individually painted  Russian dolls sold by a lady directly from Russia. I believe the legacy runs deep and goes farther than "seeing it from our back yard" so to speak....


Examine Question: What other nations were interested in Alaska, and why were they interested?

The Spanish were once again interested in Alaska after being thrown out of Florida by the English; they decided to venture back to the North Pacific. Alessandro Malaspina was the last Spanish explorer sent to Alaska in hopes to find a water route from Alaska to the Mississippi River Valley.

The French also sent ships to Alaska for more exploration. Their presence  was minimal and the only account left of their expeditions is : a Mountain and Glacier named after La Perouse . The British were also interested in Alaska and have left quite a history. Some examples are cook inlet sound and other places first claimed by the Brittish. Cooks explorations added a lot to mapping the geography of Alaska. The mapping had great significance, since the Russians new little about Alaskas mainland.The British were also intersted in finding the Northwest passage in Alaska, so that travels would be easier.

American's then came in hopes to also capitalize on the trading and profit in Alaska. They continued to participate in whaling and then cod-fishing voyages .Lastly,  United States saw Alaska as an opportunity to have more naval outposts. After all the exploring and information gathering of the wealth Alaska could bring to the United States, it was later purchased and a Treaty agreement arranged. http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=164




 
Extend:How does the history of Alaska as a colony pertain to your community?

The history of Alaska is extremely relevant to present day community. Reading about all the interest and exploration in Alaska throughout history is amazing to me. I almost feel like it parrallels todays community due to the renewed interest in Alaska due to its abundant resources and economic gains. All the commercials I have noticed since returning are geared toward  more drilling and more mines in Alaska.  I recognize that sometimes we need to look at the economic gains, but do we sometimes lose sight of preserving the beauty and cultural history to gain a buck?

Evaluation:
This section was extremely interesting to me, because as a kid I had always heard about the sell of Alaska and what a steal it was. Although I had heard about the tremendous gain the Untited States made,I  was completely unaware of all the background information and what political and historical importance it has. Despite it being an interesting module, I wish there were a few videos to go with it. I also tried looking up information on my own but found little. I am looking forward to the next module and learning more!

Blogs I have visited:
http://teachingtatitlek.blogspot.com/
I really appreciated the thought about what a culture is and perspective
http://crossingalaska.blogspot.com/
It was nice to hear more about the Qwich'in tribe
http://excitedaboutalaska.blogspot.com/
great overview of why Russia was interested in Alaska