Alcatraz Island is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore of San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history. The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.
Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans, initially primarily from San Francisco, who were later joined by AIM and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of Native American activists organizing public protests across the US through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
Thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial view.
Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans, initially primarily from San Francisco, who were later joined by AIM and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of Native American activists organizing public protests across the US through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
Thanks to Google Earth Studio for this amazing aerial view.
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00:00Alcatraz Island is a small island 1.25 miles offshore of San Francisco, California, United
00:13States.
00:15The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military
00:21fortification, and a military prison.
00:23In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
00:30The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly
00:34impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history.
00:39The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.
00:44Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group
00:50of Native Americans, initially primarily from San Francisco, who were later joined
00:55by AIME and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave
00:59of Native American activists organizing public protests across the U.S. through the 1970s.
01:05In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate
01:11National Recreation Area.
01:13It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
01:18Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of the
01:22Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
01:26Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, located between the San Francisco
01:31Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.
01:35Hornblower Cruises, operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider
01:41to and from the island.
01:42Alcatraz Island is the site of the abandoned federal prison, the oldest operating lighthouse
01:47on the west coast of the United States.
01:50Early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools and a seabird
01:55colony, mostly western gulls, cormorants, and egrets.
01:59According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet
02:07by 590 feet and is 135 feet at its highest point during mean tide.
02:13The total area of the island is reported to be 22 acres.
02:17Landmarks on the island include the main cell house, dining hall, lighthouse, the ruins
02:22of the warden's house and social hall, parade grounds, building 64, water tower, new industries
02:28building, model industries building, and the recreation yard.
02:33The first European to document the islands of San Francisco Bay was Spanish naval officer
02:38and explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala during Spanish rule of California.
02:43He charted San Francisco Bay in 1775.
02:47He named today's Yerba Buena Island, La Isla de los Alcatraces.
02:51Which translates as, the island of the Gannets, but is commonly believed to translate as,
02:56the island of the Pelicans, the modern Spanish word for, pelican, is pelicana.
03:01From the archaic Spanish Alcatraz, pelican.
03:04There are no Gannets native to the Pacific coast, making the older Spanish usage more
03:09likely.
03:10Yerba Buena Island was labeled on Ayala's 1775 chart of San Francisco Bay as, Isla de
03:16Alcatraces.
03:17The name was later applied to the rock now known as Alcatraz Island by Captain Frederick
03:22W. Beachy, an English naval officer and explorer.
03:27Over the years, the Spanish version of, Alcatraz, became popular and is now widely used.
03:32In August 1827, for instance, French Captain Auguste Bernard d'Outzilly wrote, Running
03:38past Alcatraz's, pelicans, island, covered with a countless number of these birds.
03:44A gun fired over the feathered legions caused them to fly up in a gray cloud and with a
03:48noise like a hurricane.
03:51The California brown pelican, Pelicanus occidentalis californicus, is not known to nest on the
03:56island today.
03:58The Spanish built several small buildings on the island and other minor structures.
04:03That is all.
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