Alaska became an official territory of the United States in 1912. Four years later, the first Alaskan statehood bill was proposed in Congress. Opponents argued that Alaska was far away, disconnected from the other states and little populated. Only about 58,000 people lived there at the time.
Yet those were not the only concerns. Historians say Congress was also unsure about the loyalties of native Alaskans -- the Aleuts, Indians and Eskimos. But during World War Two, national leaders recognized the importance of the territory to security in the Pacific.
The United States entered the war in 1941 after Japanese planes attacked the Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attack sank many ships. After that, Congress provided billions of dollars in defense spending for Alaska. Today, federal spending is one of the most important parts of the state economy.
After the war, Alaskans were more serious than ever about statehood. They formed a Statehood Committee in 1949 to work toward that goal.
Finally, in 1958, Congress passed the Alaska Statehood Bill and President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law. Alaskans accepted it, and on January third, 1959, President Eisenhower declared Alaska the forty-ninth state.
Today, Alaska has more than 730,000 people. About 25 percent of them are under the age of eighteen.
The biggest industry in Alaska is oil and gas production. But tourism and fishing are also important.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25