Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island in 2005
Location	San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Nearest city	San Francisco, California
Coordinates	37°49′35″N 122°25′21″W / 37.82639, -122.4225
Area	18. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city 86 acres (7. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 63 ha)
Established	1934
Governing body	National Park Service

Alcatraz Island, sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963. Alcatraz Island Lighthouse is a Lighthouse in California, United States, on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, California It became a national recreation area in 1972 and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986.

Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA is a US National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Fisherman's Wharf is a Neighborhood and popular Tourist attraction in San Francisco, California, U

Contents 1 History 1.1 Military history 2 Prison history 2.1 Military prison 2.2 Federal prison 2.3 Life in prison 2.4 Escape attempts 2.5 Famous inmates 3 Post Prison Years 3.1 Native American occupation 3.2 Landmarking and Development 3.3 Man made features 3.4 Natural features 3.4.1 Habitats 3.4.2 Vegetation 4 Proposed Peace Center 5 See also 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

History

The first Spaniard to discover the island was Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, who charted San Francisco Bay and named the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces," which means "Island of the pelicans. Juan Manuel de Ayala ( 28 December 1745 &ndash 30 December 1797) was a Spanish naval officer who played a significant role "

The United States Census Bureau defines the island as Block 1067, Block Group 1, Census Tract 179. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census A census tract, census area, or census district is a particular Community defined for the purpose of taking a Census. 02 of San Francisco County, California. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city There was no population on the island as of the 2000 census. ^[1]

It is home to the now-abandoned prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools, a seabird colony (mostly Western Gulls, cormorants, and egrets), and unique views of the coastline. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of A lighthouse is a Tower, building or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or in older times from a fire and used as an The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for Tide pools (also tidal pools, rock pools or rock and roll pools) are rocky pools by Oceans that are filled with Seawater. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed Gull that lives on the western coast of North America. The Bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 Species of cormorants and shags. This is an article about a type of bird For the EGRET satellite mission see Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope.

Military history

The earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is one Julian Workman, to whom it was given by Mexican governor Pio Pico in June 1846 with the understanding that the former would build a lighthouse on it. Julian Workman is the baptismal name of William Workman, co-owner of Rancho La Puente and personal friend of Pio Pico. Later that same year John C. Fremont bought the island for $5000 in the name of the United States government, who subsequently wrested control from Fremont after a legal battle. John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the [2]

Following the acquisition of California by the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) which ended the Mexican-American War, and the onset of the California Gold Rush the following year, the U.S. Army began studying the suitability of Alcatraz Island for the positioning of coastal batteries to protect the approaches to San Francisco Bay. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo in Spanish) is the Peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to The California Gold Rush (1848&ndash1855 began on January 24 1848 when Gold was discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. In 1853, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858. Zealous Bates Tower ( January 12, 1819 &ndash March 20, 1900) was an American soldier and Civil engineer who served as The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived the following year. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 the island mounted 85 cannon (increased to 105 by 1866) in casemates around its perimeter, though the small size of the garrison meant only a fraction of the guns could be used at one time. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Alcatraz never fired its guns in anger, though during the war it was used to imprison Confederate sympathizers on the west coast. [3]

Following the war in 1866 the army determined that the fortifications and guns were being rapidly rendered obsolete by advances in military technology. Modernization efforts, including an ambitious plan to level the entire island and construct shell-proof underground magazines and tunnels, were undertaken between 1870 and 1876 but never completed (the so called "parade ground" on the southern tip of the island represents the extent of the flattening effort). ^[2] Instead the army switched the focus of its plans for Alcatraz from coastal defense to detention, a task for which it was well suited because of its isolation. In 1867 a brick jailhouse was built (previously inmates had been kept in the basement of the guardhouse), and in 1868 Alcatraz was officially designated a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. Among those incarcerated at Alcatraz were some Hopi Native American men in the 1870s. The Hopi are Native American people who primarily live on the 12635 km² (2531 Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States ^[3]

On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western US Military Prison. In 1909 construction began on the huge concrete main cell block, designed by Major Reuben Turner, which remains the island's dominant feature. It was completed in 1912. In order to accommodate the new cell block, the Citadel, a three-story barracks, was demolished down to the first floor, which was actually below ground level. The building had been constructed in an excavated pit (creating a dry "moat") to enhance its defensive potential. The first floor was then incorporated as a basement to the new cell block, giving rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block.

During the First World War the prison held conscientious objectors, including Philip Grosser, who wrote a pamphlet entitled 'Uncle Sam's Devil's Island' about his experiences. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Philip Grosser (born 1890 in Boston, died October 3, 1933 in Boston was an anarchist and anti-militarist hailed by Alexander Berkman ^[4]

Prison history

Military prison

Because of its isolation in the middle of a bay, surrounded by cold water and strong sea currents, Alcatraz was considered by the U. S. Army as ideal for captives. The maximum number of inmates was 302. In 1906, following the San Francisco earthquake which destroyed much of the city, hundreds of civilian prisoners were transferred to the island for safety. By 1912 a large cell house had been constructed on the island’s central crest, and by the late 1920s, the three-story structure was nearly full.

Alcatraz was the army’s first long-term prison and beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing inmates to harsh conditions and discipline. Prisoners who violated the rules faced strict discipline. Violators were assigned punishments that included working on hard labor and solitary lock-downs with a bread and water diet.

The average age for law-offending soldiers was 24, most prisoners serving short-term sentences for desertion or lesser crimes. However, it wasn't uncommon to find soldiers serving longer sentences for insubordination, assault, larceny, and murder. The prisoners were allowed to stay in their cells. They could clean up, play cards or read books with their neighbors. They were still required to do work but once done they could go to their cell. Inmates with first or second-class rankings were allowed to go anywhere about the grounds except for the guards' quarters on the upper levels.

Alcatraz primarily functioned in a minimum-security capacity. The work given to inmates changed depended on the prisoners, their classification, and how responsible they were. Many cooked, cleaned and attended to household works for families who lived on the island. In many cases, select prisoners cared for children of staff members. Alcatraz was also the home of several Chinese families, who were employed as servants and made up the largest segment of the island's civilian population. The lack of a focus on security helped inmates who hoped to escape. But most escapees never made it to land, and usually turned back to be rescued from the freezing water. Those who failed to turn back died because of the cold water.

Over the decades the prison's routine became more relaxed, and recreational activities were more common. In the late 1920s prisoners were permitted to build a baseball field, and allowed to wear their own baseball uniforms. On Friday nights the Army hosted Alcatraz Fights that featured boxing matches between inmates. These fights were popular, and often civilians from San Francisco would come to Alcatraz to see them.

Due to rising costs because of its location, the War Department decided to close the prison in 1934 and it was taken over by the Department of Justice.

Federal prison

United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island
Location:	San Francisco Bay, California
Coordinates:	37°49′37″N 122°25′26″W / 37.82694, -122.42389Coordinates: 37°49′37″N 122°25′26″W / 37.82694, -122.42389
Status:	Closed (Museum)
Security class:	Maximum
Capacity:	312
Opened:	January 1, 1934
Closed:	March 21, 1963
Managed by:	Department of Justice

The Great Depression and Prohibition contributed to a severe increase in crime during the late 1920s and 1930s, heralding organized crime. San Francisco Bay is a shallow productive Estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol There was a sharp rise in serious violence, provoked by Prohibition and poverty. Gangsters and other "public enemies" gained influence in metropolitan areas and law enforcement agencies were not equipped to deal with the situation, frequently bested by better-armed gangs in shoot-outs.

Alcatraz was perceived as the best solution. It could keep public enemies away from the population and be a warning to the new, ruthless brand of criminals. Sanford Bates, the head of Federal Prisons, and Attorney General Homer Cummings led the project, and were responsible for the detailed designs. Homer Stille Cummings ( April 30 1870 - September 10 1956) was a U One security expert, Robert Burge, was asked to help design an escape-proof prison. The original cell block, built in 1909, would undergo an extensive series of upgrades and renovations.

In April of 1934, the completed works gave the military prison a new face and identity. The soft, squared bars were replaced with modern tool-proof iron bars. Electricity was routed into each cell, and the utility tunnels were cemented to remove the possibility that a prisoner could hide in them . Tool-proof iron window coverings would protect all areas that could be accessed by inmates. Gun galleries surrounded the cell blocks, allowing guards to carry weapons while being protected behind iron barriers. These galleries, elevated and out of reach of prisoners, were to be the control centers for all keys, and would allow guards to keep an eye on inmates.

Teargas canisters were installed in the roof of the dining hall; they could be activated remotely, from the gun gallery as well as from outside observation points. Guard towers were positioned around the perimeter, and metal detectors were positioned outside the dining hall and on the Prison Industries access path. The cell house contained nearly 350 cells, far from the perimeter wall. If an inmate managed to tunnel through the cell wall, he would still need to escape from the cell house itself. The inmates would only be assigned to B, C, and D blocks, since the primary prison population was not allowed to exceed 300 (although the record was 302). The new measures, combined with the isolating barrier created by the cold Bay water, meant the prison was ready to receive the nation's most incorrigible and dangerous criminals.

Life in prison

All privileges would be limited, and no inmate, regardless of public stature, would be given special rights or freedoms. Inmates arriving at Alcatraz were driven in a small transfer van to the top of the hill. They were processed in the basement area, and were then provided with all of their basic things and allowed a brief shower.

Visitation rights would have to be earned by the inmates, and no visits would be allowed for the first three months of residence at Alcatraz. All visits would have to be approved directly by the Warden, and would be limited to one per month. Inmates would be given restricted access to the Prison Library, but no newspapers, radios, magazines, or other non-approved reading materials would be allowed during their term in Alcatraz. Receiving and sending mail would be considered a privilege and all letters, both in-coming and out-going, were to be screened and type-written after being censored by prison officials. Working was also a privilege and consideration for work assignments would be based on an inmate's conduct record. The type of work could vary for each prisoner, and those working places were the most valuable thing a prisoner could have.

Each prisoner would be assigned their own cell, and only the bare necessities would be given, such as food, water, clothing, and medical and dental care. The prisoners' contact with the outside world was completely restricted during their term in Alcatraz. They would be marched from one location to another, always in the exact same places in a unified formation.

As quickly as a given privilege could be earned for good behavior, it could be taken away for the slightest infraction of the rules.

Wardens from the various Federal penitentiaries were interviewed, and were permitted to send their most incorrigible inmates into secure confinement on The Rock. The prison population at Alcatraz was made up of inmates who had histories of unmanageable behavior or escape attempts, and high-profile inmates who had been receiving special privileges because of their public status.

The inmates' day began when they were woken at 6:30 a. m. , and were given twenty-five minutes to clean their cells and stand to be counted. At 6:55 a. m. individual tiers of cells would be opened one by one, and the inmates would march in single line into the Mess Hall. They would be given twenty minutes to eat and would then be marched out to line up for their work assignments.

The main corridor of the cell house was named "Broadway" by the inmates, and the cells along this passageway were considered the least desirable in the prison. The cells on the bottom tier were colder because they stood against the long slick run of cement, and they were also the least private, as inmates, guards, and other prison personnel frequented this corridor. The newer were generally assigned to the second tier of B Block, and were placed in quarantine status for the first three months of their term on The Rock.

There was a ratio of one guard to every three prisoners on Alcatraz, as compared with other prisons, in which the ratio exceeded one guard to every twelve inmates, a measure which was meant to prevent the prisoners from trying to escape. With the gun galleries at each end of the cell blocks, and the frequent inmate counts (twelve per day), the guards were able to keep extremely close track of each inmate. Because of the small number of prisoners at Alcatraz, all of the guards usually knew each inmate by sight and name.

In the early years at Alcatraz, Warden Johnston maintained a silence policy that many inmates considered to be their most unbearable punishment. Many complaints were posted for this matter. There were reports that several inmates were being driven insane by the severe rule of silence on Alcatraz. The silence policy was later relaxed, but this was one of only a few policy changes that occurred over the prison's history.

The single Strip Cell, also known as the "Oriental," was a dark steel covered cell with no toilet or sink. There was only a hole in the floor for the inhabitant to relieve himself, and the ability to flush the contents was controlled by a guard. Inmates were placed in the cell naked, and were put on severely restricted diets. The cell had a standard set of bars with an expanded opening through which to pass food, and a solid steel outer door that remained closed, leaving the inmate in total darkness. Inmates were usually subjected to this degree of punishment for periods of only one to two days. The cell was cold, and the sleeping mattress was only allowed during the night, and was taken away during daylight hours. This was considered the most invasive type of punishment for severe violations and misconduct, and it was genuinely feared by all the inmates.

Escape attempts

Main article: Alcatraz escape attempts

During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed no prisoners as having ever successfully escaped. In its 29 years of operation there were 14 attempts to escape from Alcatraz prison involving 34 inmates 36 prisoners were involved in 14 attempts, two men trying twice; seven were shot and killed, two drowned, June 11, 1962 in one of the most intricate escapes ever devised. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Behind the prisoners' cells in Cell Block B (where the escapees were interned) was an unguarded 3-foot (0. 91 m) wide utility corridor. The prisoners chiseled away the moisture-damaged concrete from around an air vent leading to this corridor, using tools such as a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime and an electric drill improvised from a stolen vacuum cleaner motor. The noise was disguised by accordions played during music hour, and their progress was concealed by false walls which, in the dark recesses of the cells, fooled the guards.

The escape route then led up through a fan vent; the fan and motor had been removed and replaced with a steel grille, leaving a shaft large enough for a prisoner to climb through. Stealing a carborundum cord from the prison workshop, the prisoners had removed the rivets from the grille and substituted dummy rivets made of soap. Silicon carbide ( is a compound of Silicon and Carbon bonded together to form Ceramics but it also occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral The escapees also stole several raincoats to use as a raft for the trip to the mainland. Leaving papier-mâché dummies in their cells with paint brush bristles as hair, they escaped. Papier-mâché ( French for 'chewed-up paper' because of its appearance sometimes called paper-mâché, is a construction material that consists of pieces of The prisoners are estimated to have entered San Francisco Bay at 10 p. m.

The official investigation by the FBI was aided by another prisoner, Allen West, who also was part of the escapees' group but was left behind (West's false wall kept slipping so he held it into place with cement, which set; when the Anglin brothers accelerated the schedule, West desperately chipped away at the wall but by the time he did his companions were gone). Allen Clayton West (born September 10, 1926 in New York City - died December 21, 1978 in Gainesville) was one of the Articles belonging to the prisoners (including plywood paddles and parts of the raincoat raft) were located on nearby Angel Island, and the official report on the escape says the prisoners drowned while trying to reach the mainland in the cold waters of the bay. Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that offers spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline the Marin County Headlands and Mount

Famous inmates

Robert Stroud, who was better known to the public as the "Birdman of Alcatraz," was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Robert Franklin Stroud ( January 28, 1890 &ndash November 21, 1963) known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, was a Prisoner in He spent the next seventeen years on "the Rock" — six years in segregation in D Block, and eleven years in the prison hospital. In 1959 he was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield.

When Al Capone arrived on Alcatraz in 1934, prison officials made it clear that he would not be receiving any preferential treatment. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who While serving his time in Atlanta, Capone, a master manipulator, had continued running his rackets from behind bars by buying off guards. "Big Al" generated incredible media attention while on Alcatraz though he served just four and a half years of his sentence there before developing symptoms of syphilis and being transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in Los Angeles. Terminal Island is an Artificial island located in Los Angeles County California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

George "Machine Gun" Kelly arrived on September 4, 1934. George Kelly Barnes aka George R Kelly aka George "Machine Gun" Kelly ( July 18, 1895 — July 18, 1954) At Alcatraz, Kelly was constantly boasting about several robberies and murders that he had never committed. Although this was said to be an apparent point of frustration for several fellow prisoners, Warden Johnson considered him a model inmate. Kelly was returned to Leavenworth in 1951. The United States Penitentiary (USP Leavenworth is located in Leavenworth, Kansas on 1583 acres (6

James 'Whitey' Bulger spent 3 years on Alcatraz (1959-1962) while serving a sentence for bank robbery. James Joseph " Whitey " Bulger Jr (born September 3 1929) is a wanted fugitive and alleged leader of the Winter Hill Gang While there, he became close to Clarence Carnes, also known as the Choctaw Kid. Clarence Victor "The Choctaw Kid" Carnes ( January 14, 1927 &ndash October 3, 1988) was a Choctaw Indian famous as

Post Prison Years

Alcatraz
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Flowers on Alcatraz. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the In the background is the Warden's Home, destroyed by fire during the Indian occupation.
Location:	San Francisco, California
Built/Founded:	1847
Architect:	U. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city S. Army,Bureau of Prisons; U. S. Army
Architectural style(s):	Mission/Spanish Revival
Designated as NHL:	January 17, 1986[5]
Added to NRHP:	June 23, 1976[6]
NRHP Reference#:	76000209
Governing body:	NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

By decision of US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the penitentiary was closed for good on March 21, 1963. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20 1925 – June 6 1968 also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was closed because it was far more expensive to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta),^[7] half a century of salt water saturation had severely eroded the buildings, and the bay was being badly polluted by the sewage from the approximately 250 inmates and 60 Bureau of Prisons families on the island. Water content or moisture content is the quantity of Water contained in a material such as Soil (called soil moisture) rock, The United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, a new, traditional land-bound prison opened that same year to serve as a replacement for Alcatraz. The United States Penitentiary is a medium-security Prison located in Marion, Illinois. Marion is the second largest city in Southern Illinois and serves as the region's largest retail trade center

Native American occupation

Main article: Occupation of Alcatraz

In 1969, a group of Native Americans from many different tribes (many individual Native Americans relocated to the Bay Area under the Federal Indian Reorganization Act of 1934), occupied the island, and proposed an education center, ecology center and cultural center. The Brandt's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a strictly marine Bird of the Cormorant family of Seabirds that inhabits the The Occupation of Alcatraz (also known as the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz or the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz) was an occupation of Alcatraz Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Indian Reorganization Act, 1934, also known as the Wheeler-Howard Act or informally the Indian New Deal, was a U

According to the occupants, the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U. The Treaty of Fort Laramie (also called the Sioux Treaty of 1868) was an agreement between the United States and the Lakota nation Yanktonai S. and the Sioux returned all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal land to the Native people from whom it was acquired. During the occupation, several buildings were damaged or destroyed by fires, including the recreation hall, the Coast Guard quarter and the Warden's home. The origins of the fires is unknown. A number of other buildings (mostly apartments) were destroyed by the US Government after the occupation had ended. After 18 months of occupation, the government forced the occupiers off. But the end of the Termination policy and the new policy of self-determination were established in 1970, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. Graffiti from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island. [4]

Landmarking and Development

The entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976,^[6] and was further declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The California slender salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus, is a lungless Salamander that is found primarily in coastal mountain areas of Northern California The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the ^[5][8]

In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled Alcatraz Development Concept and Environmental Assessment. This plan, approved in 1980, doubled the amount of Alcatraz accessible to the public to enable visitors to enjoy its scenery and bird, marine, and animal life, such as the California slender salamander. The California slender salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus, is a lungless Salamander that is found primarily in coastal mountain areas of Northern California ^[9]

Today American Indian groups, the International Indian Treaty Council, for example, hold ceremonies on the island. The most notable of these are on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving Day when they hold a "Sunrise Gathering. "

In 2006, the Park Service awarded the ferry contract to Hornblower Yachts ferry operator Alcatraz Cruises. Because Hornblower does not employ union labor, there have been protests for several months and several demonstrations with nearly 1,000 participants.

Man made features

• The parade grounds. Carved from the hillside during the late 19th century and covered with rubble since the government demolished guard housing in 1971, the area has become a habitat and breeding ground for black-crowned night herons, western gulls, slender salamanders and deer mice. The Black-crowned Night Heron (or just Night Heron in Eurasia ( Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized Heron. The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed Gull that lives on the western coast of North America. Slender salamander is the name often given to Plethodontid (lungless Salamanders of the genus Batrachoseps. The genus Peromyscus contains species commonly referred to as deer mice

• The Agave Path, a trail named for its dense growth of agave. Agave is a succulent Plant of a large Botanical Genus of the same name belonging to the family Agavaceae. Located atop a shoreline bulkhead on the south side, it provides a nesting habitat for night herons. The night herons are medium-sized Herons in the genera Nycticorax and Gorsachius.

Natural features

Habitats

• Cisterns. For cisterns in Neuroanatomy, see Cistern (neuroanatomy.For the village in England see Syston. A bluff that, because of its moist crevices, is believed to be an important site for California slender salamanders. The California slender salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus, is a lungless Salamander that is found primarily in coastal mountain areas of Northern California
• Cliff tops at the island's north end. Containing a onetime manufacturing building and a plaza, the area is listed as important to nesting and roosting birds. Plaza ( / latin america) is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban Public space, such as a City square.
• The powerhouse area. A steep embankment where native grassland and creeping wild rye support a habitat for deer mice. Wild rye is a term used for several Grasses of the genus Leymus and Elymus. The genus Peromyscus contains species commonly referred to as deer mice
• Tide pools. Tide pools (also tidal pools, rock pools or rock and roll pools) are rocky pools by Oceans that are filled with Seawater. A series of them, created by long-ago quarrying activities, contains still-unidentified invertebrate species and marine algae. They form one of the few tide-pool complexes in the Bay, according to the report.
• Western cliffs and cliff tops. Rising to heights of nearly 100 feet (30 m), they provide nesting and roosting sites for sea birds including pigeon guillemots, cormorants, Herrmann's gulls and western gulls. The Pigeon Guillemot ( Cepphus columba) is a medium-sized alcid endemic to the Pacific. The Bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 Species of cormorants and shags. The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed Gull that lives on the western coast of North America. Harbor seals can occasionally be seen on a small beach at the base.

Vegetation

Historic gardens. Planted by prison guards' families, they are now overgrown and have also become a bird nesting habitat.

Proposed Peace Center

The Global Peace Foundation proposed to raze the prison and build a peace center in its place. During the previous year, supporters collected 10,350 signatures that placed it on the presidential primary ballots in San Francisco for February 5, 2008. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[10]The proposed plan is estimated at $1 billion. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been In order for the plan to pass, Congress would have to take Alcatraz out of the National Park Service. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation Critics of the plan say that Alcatraz is too rich in history to be destroyed. ^[11] On February 6, 2008, the Alcatraz Island Global Peace Center Proposition C failed to pass, with 72% of voters rejecting the proposition. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[12]

See also

• Alcatraz Island in popular culture

References

See also

• The General Frank M. Coxe (ship) served as an Army transport vessel and later a cruise ship on San Francisco Bay. It served as a ferry to and from Angel Island and Alcatraz, during and before the Federal Prison period. It is now preserved as a floating restaurant in Burlingame, California, just south of San Francisco. Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco

External links

• National Park Service - Alcatraz Official Website
• Early History of the California Coast, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
• Federal Bureau of Prisons - A Brief History of Alcatraz
• California State Military Museum - Post at Alcatraz Island
• Video about Visiting Alcatraz
• Report on the 1962 escape incident (from the FBI's FOIA electronic reading room)
• AlcatrazHistory.com
• Map of Alcatraz with marker pictures. The Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA) is the implementation of freedom of information legislation in the United States

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