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May 10, 2024 · Alcatraz Island, rocky island in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S. The island occupies an area of 22 acres (9 hectares) and is located 1.5 miles (2 km) offshore. Alcatraz Island. The federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California. The island had little vegetation and was a seabird habitat when it was explored in 1775 ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Alcatraz reveals stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. This small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum security federal penitentiary. In 1969, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in the name of freedom and Native American civil rights. We invite you to explore Alcatraz's complex history and natural beauty.
History Alcatraz Island, 1896 Alcatraz in the dawn mist, from the east. The "parade ground" is at left. Alcatraz Island and lighthouse at sunset The water tower and powerhouse (at right), which generated electricity for the island A model of Military Point Alcatraz, 1866–1868, now on display at Alcatraz Island Model of the prison in present day, on display at Alcatraz Island
- 22 acres (8.9 ha)
- San Francisco, California
- 1934; 89 years ago
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Aug 30, 2023 · Historic Christmas 1954 menu for the Alcatraz prisoners. Park Archives, GGNRA, NPS The Fascinating History of Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz has a many-layered history: Civil War fortress, military prison, federal prison, bird sanctuary, first lighthouse on the West Coast, and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement: These are just a few of the fascinating stories of the Rock.
We Hold the Rock. European discovery and exploration of the San Francisco Bay Area and its islands began in 1542 and culminated with the mapping of the bay in 1775. Early visitors to the Bay Area were preceded 10,000 to 20,000 years earlier, however, by the native people indigenous to the area. Prior to the coming of the Spanish and Portuguese ...
Initially discovered by a Spanish explorer in 1775 (its name literally meant Isle of the Penguins originally), Alcatraz Island was first used by the US military in 1853, when it established a base there, transforming it into Fortress Alcatraz. This heavily fortified structure was completed in 1859. In the course of the American Civil War, the ...
In 1964, and again in 1969-1971, American Indian activists laid claim to Alcatraz Island. Their 19-month occupation would cause significant changes in federal policy and galvanize the Red Power movement. Learn more about the historic occupation by Indians of All Tribes, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2019.
