The Gold Rush

The next big economic boom for Alaska was also based on exploiting a natural resource, this time gold. Between 1880 and 1910, a series of gold strikes across Alaska and the nearby Canadian Yukon created the largest economic boom in Alaska's history. The gold discoveries brought tens of thousands of people to the territory. The 1880 census listed a population of 430 non-Native residents. By 1900, the non-Native population had jumped to 30,000, and the state's total population had doubled. Most people who came north planned to strike it rich and leave, but many stayed.

The huge influx of new people to the territory started a new chapter in Alaska's history. Dozens of new towns were started, many of which survived to become important communities in Alaska today, such as Juneau, Fairbanks, and Nome. The new towns and population growth led to investment in infrastructure and transportation routes. It also led to the first local Alaskan government. Taken as a whole, the Gold Rush completely transformed the territory and laid the foundations for modern Alaska.

The Gold Rush ended in the early 1900s, as most of the easy-to-reach gold was found. However, Alaska is rich in mineral resources, such as zinc, copper, lead, and gold, and mining remained an important economic activity in the decades after the Gold Rush and continues to be so today.