1776 to 1796
Spanish fort soccupied Alcatraz island and named it "Isla de Alcatraces" which tranlated to island of pelicans.
1822
forts fell to Mexico.
1846
forts fell to US Army and US Marines
1849
the island is sold to the governor of California
1853
the U.S. military began constructing a fort on Alcatraz Island in order to defend San Francisco Bay. This was a part of the North’s western defensive strategy during the Civil War.
1859
11 soldiers put on island as a mean of isolating and jailing them. During the Civil War, Alcatraz was used to imprison soldiers accused of desertion and other crimes, as well as citizens accused of treason. *On one occasion the crew of a Confederate ship was incarcerated there.
1907
Alcatraz is deactivated as a jail by the army, but it remains a military prison.
1908
the army had begun a major rebuilding campaignin order to build a massive concrete cellhouse on the island.
1934
Alcatraz reopens as a federal prison, designed to hold high-profile criminals. Prison meant to isolate prisoners from outside world. There was no rehabilitation mission, scrictly a disiplinary and punitive prison. Famous inmates include, Al Chapone, Doc Barker, Alvin Karpis, and many more.
1946
The Battle of Alcatraz begins after a failed escape attempt. A small group of inmates take a few of the guards hostage. 3 inmates and 2 guards die during a standoff, which ends with the military attackin the island.
1962
Frank Miller, an inamte, leads one of the most famous escape attempts, out of 14 total. He and his brothers dug around the ventilation in their cells, which allowed them to enter the corrider in between cells. The men are assumed to have drowned.
1964, March 8th
A small group of Souix demonstrated by occupying Alctraz for 4 hours. The group consisted of 40 inlcuidng photographers and journalists.
