Alcatraz Island has quite a distinct history. Many people know that Alcatraz
served as a federal prison, but most are reluctant to know that this island
served as fort. Built before the Civil War, it served two main purposes. First,
that it was to guard the San Francisco bay area from enemy ships against a
foreign invasion, and second, to hold hostage prisoners of war or POW's as they
were called.
In this report, I'll show you how this fortress came to be a federal prison,
why it is no longer in operation today, and most importantly, to show why it was
built in the first place. When the great Gold Rush of 1849 first started,
California grew from what would be considered a small, unpopulated state, into
what it is now.
California is now one of the most populated states and it was mostly the gold
rush that brought attention to California. As the government saw all of this
happening, they realized that California was much more important than they ever
realized. In their realization, they decided that California must be protected.
San Francisco has one of the largest bays in all of California, and so
this was where enemy countries would most likely to try to invade the country.
So this is where Alcatraz was to lie, to serve as a military fort. It was
supposed to serve as a secondary base in companionship to another base located
on the other side of Golden Gate Bridge.
But with severe problems trying to build this other base, Alcatraz was to
remain alone. Out in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, the island of Alcatraz
is definitely a world unto itself. Isolation is just one of the many constants
of island life for any inhabitant on Alcatraz Island. It is the most reoccurring
theme in the unfolding history of Alcatraz Island.
Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular
destinations, offering a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison
long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island can not only explore the
remnants of the prison, but learn of the American occupation of 1969 - 1971,
early military fortifications and the West Coast's first and oldest operating
lighthouse.
