Jump to content

Alcatraz Island: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 37°49′36″N 122°25′22″W / 37.82667°N 122.42278°W / 37.82667; -122.42278
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: clarify reference to the June 1962 escape attempt
Undid revision 1263440931 by 206.180.67.2 (talk)
 
(491 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Island in San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.}}
{{redirect|Alcatraz|the former high-security prison on the island which existed from 1934 to 1963|Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary|other uses|Alcatraz (disambiguation)}}
{{redirect|Alcatraz|the former prison on the island|Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary|other uses|Alcatraz (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Alcatrazes Islands}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{disputed|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox protected area
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Alcatraz
| name = Alcatraz Island
| iucn_category =
| iucn_category =
| photo = Alcatraz Island as seen from the East.jpg
| photo = Alcatraz 2021.jpg
| photo_caption = Alcatraz Island, [[San Francisco Bay]], {{nowrap|July 2, 2017}}
| photo_caption = Alcatraz Island from the [[San Francisco Bay]]
| map = United States San Francisco#California#USA
| map = United States San Francisco#California#USA
| map_width = 225
| map_width = 225
| location = [[San Francisco Bay]], [[California]], U.S.
| location = [[San Francisco Bay]], California, U.S.
| nearest_city = [[San Francisco]], California
| nearest_city = [[San Francisco]], California
| coordinates = {{coord|37|49|36|N|122|25|22|W|region:US-CA_type:isle|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|37|49|36|N|122|25|22|W|region:US-CA_type:isle|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
Line 15: Line 16:
| area_acre = 22
| area_acre = 22
| area_ref = <ref name=ebonline/>
| area_ref = <ref name=ebonline/>
| established = {{Start date|1934}}
| established = {{Start date and age|1934}}
| visitation_num =
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| visitation_year =
Line 22: Line 23:
| embedded1 = {{Infobox NRHP | embed=yes
| embedded1 = {{Infobox NRHP | embed=yes
| name =Alcatraz
| name =Alcatraz
| nrhp_type = nhld | nocat = yes
| nrhp_type = nhld | nocat = yes
| image = Alcatraz Island Flowers.jpg
| image = Alcatraz Island Flowers.jpg
| caption = The Social Hall, destroyed by fire during the Native American occupation.
| caption = The Social Hall, destroyed by fire during the [[Occupation of Alcatraz|Native American occupation]]
| area = {{Convert|47|acre}}<ref name="nris"/>
| area = {{Convert|47|acre}}<ref name="nris"/>
| built =1847
| built =1847
Line 35: Line 36:
}}
}}


'''Alcatraz Island''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|l|k|ə|ˌ|t|r|æ|z}}) is located in [[San Francisco Bay]], {{convert|1.25|mi}} offshore from [[San Francisco]], [[California]], [[United States]].<ref name=ebonline>{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online | title=Alcatraz Island | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/13237/Alcatraz-Island | year=2009 | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica | accessdate=August 20, 2009}}</ref> The small island was developed with facilities for a [[Alcatraz Island Lighthouse|lighthouse]], a military fortification, a military prison, and [[Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary|a federal prison]] from 1934 until 21 March 1963. The water currents around the island were high at all times, which decreased the chance of an inmate escaping.<ref name="Odier">{{cite book | last=Odier | first=Odier | title=The Rock: A History of Alcatraz: The Fort/The Prison | publisher=L'Image Odier | year=1982 | isbn=0-9611632-0-8}}</ref> Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of [[Indigenous people of the Americas|Native Americans]] from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native American [[activism]] across the U.S., with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and received designation as a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986.
'''Alcatraz Island''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|l|k|ə|ˌ|t|r|æ|z}}) is a small island {{convert|1.25|mi}} offshore from [[San Francisco, California]], United States.<ref name=ebonline>{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online | title=Alcatraz Island | url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/13237/Alcatraz-Island | year=2009 | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica | access-date=August 20, 2009}}</ref> The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a [[Alcatraz Island Lighthouse|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.<ref name="Odier">{{cite book | last=Odier | first=Odier | title=The Rock: A History of Alcatraz: The Fort/The Prison | publisher=L'Image Odier | year=1982 | isbn=0-9611632-0-8 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/rockhistoryofalc0000odie }}</ref> The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.


Beginning in November 1969, the island was [[Occupation of Alcatraz|occupied]] for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans, initially primarily from [[San Francisco]], who were later joined by [[American Indian Movement|AIM]] and other urban Native Americans from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of [[Indigenous rights|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.
Today, the island's facilities are managed by the [[National Park Service]] as part of [[Golden Gate National Recreation Area]]; it is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island in a little under 15 minutes by [[ferry]] ride from Pier 33, located between the [[San Francisco Ferry Building]] and [[Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco]]. [[Hornblower Cruises]] and Events, operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island.


Today, the island's facilities are managed by the [[National Park Service]] as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Visitors can reach the island by [[ferry]] ride from Pier 33, located between the [[San Francisco Ferry Building]] and [[Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco]]. [[Hornblower Cruises]], operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island.
Alcatraz Island is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating [[lighthouse]] on the [[West Coast of the United States]], early military [[fortification]]s, and natural features such as [[rock pool]]s and a [[seabird]] colony (mostly [[western gull]]s, [[cormorant]]s, and [[egret]]s). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures {{convert|1675|ft}} by {{convert|590|ft}} and is {{convert|135|ft}} at highest point during mean tide.<ref name="docu">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqHBkasgNgE|title=This Is An Alcatraz Documentary (Part 1)|publisher=Narrated by [[Howard Duff]]|year=1971|accessdate=August 30, 2012}}</ref> The total area of the island is reported to be {{convert|22|acre}}.<ref name=ebonline/>


Alcatraz Island is the site of the abandoned federal prison, the oldest operating [[lighthouse]] on the [[West Coast of the United States]], early military [[fortification]]s, and natural features such as [[rock pool]]s and a [[seabird]] colony (mostly [[western gull]]s, [[cormorant]]s, and [[egret]]s). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures {{convert|1675|ft}} by {{convert|590|ft}} and is {{convert|135|ft}} at highest point during mean tide.<ref name="docu">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqHBkasgNgE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/fqHBkasgNgE| archive-date=2021-10-29|title=This Is An Alcatraz Documentary (Part 1)|publisher=Narrated by [[Howard Duff]]|year=1971|access-date=August 30, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The total area of the island is reported to be {{convert|22|acre}}.<ref name=ebonline/>
Landmarks on the island include the [[Alcatraz Cellhouse|Main Cellhouse]], [[Alcatraz Dining Hall|Dining Hall]], [[Alcatraz Lighthouse|Lighthouse]], the ruins of the [[Warden's House (Alcatraz Island)|Warden's House]] and Social Hall, Parade Grounds, [[Building 64]], [[Alcatraz Water Tower|Water Tower]], [[New Industries Building]], [[Model Industries Building]],

and the [[Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)|Recreation Yard]].
Landmarks on the island include the [[Alcatraz Cellhouse|Main Cellhouse]], [[Alcatraz Dining Hall|Dining Hall]], [[Alcatraz Lighthouse|Lighthouse]], the ruins of the [[Warden's House (Alcatraz Island)|Warden's House]] and Social Hall, Parade Grounds, [[Building 64]], [[Alcatraz Water Tower|Water Tower]], [[New Industries Building]], [[Model Industries Building]], and the [[Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)|Recreation Yard]].


==History==
==History==
[[File:AlcatrazIsland-1895.jpg|thumb|left|Alcatraz Island, 1895.]]
[[File:AlcatrazIsland-1895.jpg|thumb|left|Alcatraz Island, 1896]]
[[File:Alcatraz dawn 2005-01-07.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz in the dawn mist, from the east. The "parade ground" is at left.]]
[[File:Alcatraz dawn 2005-01-07.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz in the dawn mist, from the east. The "parade ground" is at left.]]
[[File:Alcatraz Island at Sunset.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz Island and lighthouse at sunset]]
[[File:Alcatraz Island at Sunset.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz Island and lighthouse at sunset]]
[[File:The Water Tower Alactraz.jpg|thumb|The water tower and powerhouse (at right), which generated electricity for the island.]]
[[File:The Water Tower Alactraz.jpg|thumb|The water tower and powerhouse (at right), which generated electricity for the island]]
[[File:Military Point Alcatraz 1866-1868 (model).JPG|thumb|left|A model of Military Point Alcatraz, 1866–1868, now on display at Alcatraz Island]]
[[File:Military Point Alcatraz 1866-1868 (model).JPG|thumb|left|A model of Military Point Alcatraz, 1866–1868, now on display at Alcatraz Island]]
[[File:Alcatraz Island Model.jpg|thumb|left|Model of the prison in present day, on display at Alcatraz Island]]


The first [[Spaniard]] to document the island was Juan Manuel de Ayala, who charted San Francisco Bay in 1775 and named one of the three islands he identified as "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which translates as "The Island of the [[Gannets]]" but is commonly believed to translate as "The Island of the [[Pelican]]s (Spanish for Pelicans is Pelicanos)",<ref name=GNIS>{{Cite GNIS|218080|Alcatraz Island}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.books-about-california.com/Pages/March_of_Portola/March_of_Portola_Chap_05.html |title=The March of Portolá and the Log of the San Carlos – Zoeth S. Eldredge & E. J. Molera – Log of the San Carlos |publisher=Books-about-california.com |accessdate=January 24, 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110213150223/http://www.books-about-california.com/Pages/March_of_Portola/March_of_Portola_Chap_05.html| archivedate= February 13, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rs1.htm |title=The History of Alcatraz Island |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-military-fortress.aspx |title=History: Military Fortress |publisher=Alcatrazcruises.com |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119144803/http://alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-military-fortress.aspx |archive-date=November 19, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=hist>{{cite web|url=http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp |title=BOP: Alcatraz |publisher=Bop.gov |accessdate=January 24, 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110109114629/http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp| archivedate= January 9, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/historyculture/index.htm |title=Alcatraz Island – History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service) |publisher=Nps.gov |date=March 27, 2010 |accessdate=January 24, 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110228194317/https://www.nps.gov/alca/historyculture/index.htm| archivedate= February 28, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> from the archaic Spanish ''{{wiktspa|alcatraz}}'' ("pelican"). Over the years, the Spanish version "Alcatraz" became popular and is now widely used. In August 1827, French Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly wrote "... running past Alcatraze's (Pelicans) Island ... covered with a countless number of these birds. A gun fired over the feathered legions caused them to fly up in a great cloud and with a noise like a hurricane."<ref>{{cite book |title=A Voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands, and Around the World in the Years 1826–1829 |author=Auguste Duhaut-Cilly |publisher=University of California Press |year=1999 |page=284 |isbn=978-0-520-21752-2 }}</ref> The [[Brown pelican|California brown pelican]] (''Pelecanus occidentalis californicus'') is not known to nest on the island today. The Spanish built several small buildings on the island and other minor structures.<ref name="docu"/>
The first European to document the islands of San Francisco Bay was [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] naval officer and explorer [[Juan de Ayala|Juan Manuel de Ayala]] during [[Spanish California|Spanish rule of California]]; he charted San Francisco Bay in 1775. He named today's [[Yerba Buena Island]] as ''"La Isla de los Alcatraces"'', which translates as "The Island of the [[Gannets]]" but is commonly believed to translate as "The Island of the [[Pelican]]s" (the modern Spanish word for 'pelican' is ''pelícano''),<ref name=GNIS>{{Cite GNIS|218080|Alcatraz Island}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.books-about-california.com/Pages/March_of_Portola/March_of_Portola_Chap_05.html |title=The March of Portolá and the Log of the San Carlos – Zoeth S. Eldredge & E. J. Molera – Log of the San Carlos |publisher=Books-about-california.com |access-date=January 24, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110213150223/http://www.books-about-california.com/Pages/March_of_Portola/March_of_Portola_Chap_05.html| archive-date= February 13, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rs1.htm |title=The History of Alcatraz Island |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-military-fortress.aspx |title=History: Military Fortress |publisher=Alcatrazcruises.com |access-date=January 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119144803/http://alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-military-fortress.aspx |archive-date=November 19, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=hist>{{cite web|url=http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp |title=BOP: Alcatraz |publisher=Bop.gov |access-date=January 24, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110109114629/http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp| archive-date= January 9, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/historyculture/index.htm |title=Alcatraz Island – History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service) |publisher=Nps.gov |date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=January 24, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110228194317/https://www.nps.gov/alca/historyculture/index.htm| archive-date= February 28, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> from the archaic Spanish ''{{Wikt-lang|es|alcatraz}}'' ("pelican"). There are no gannets native to the Pacific coast, making the older Spanish usage more likely.
Yerba Buena Island was labeled on [[Juan de Ayala|Ayala]]'s 1775 chart of San Francisco Bay as "Isla de Alcatraces". The name was later applied to the rock now known as Alcatraz Island by [[Frederick William Beechey|Captain Frederick W. Beechey]], an English naval officer and explorer.<ref>{{cite book |title=California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names |author1=Erwin Gustav Gudde |author2=William Bright |publisher=University of California Press |year=2010 |page=7 |isbn=978-0520266193 }}</ref>
Over the years, the Spanish version "Alcatraz" became popular and is now widely used. In August 1827, for instance, French Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly wrote "... running past Alcatraze's (Pelicans) Island ... covered with a countless number of these birds. A gun fired over the feathered legions caused them to fly up in a great cloud and with a noise like a hurricane."<ref>{{cite book |title=A Voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands, and Around the World in the Years 1826–1829 |author=Auguste Duhaut-Cilly |publisher=University of California Press |year=1999 |page=284 |isbn=978-0-520-21752-2 }}</ref> The [[Brown pelican|California brown pelican]] (''Pelecanus occidentalis californicus'') is not known to nest on the island today. The Spanish built several small buildings on the island and other minor structures.<ref name="docu"/>


===Fort Alcatraz===
===Fort Alcatraz===
{{Main|Fort Alcatraz}}
The earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman, to whom it was given by [[Mexico|Mexican]] governor [[Pio Pico]] in June 1846, with the understanding that Workman would build a lighthouse on it.<ref name=PBUSDB>{{cite journal |last1=The Rock |year=1915 |title=A Brief History of the Island of Alcatraz |journal=The Rock |volume=1 |issue=January |page=3 |publisher=Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz, California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_T1OAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3}}</ref> Julian Workman is the baptismal name of [[Workman-Temple family|William Workman]], co-owner of [[Rancho La Puente]] and personal friend of Pio Pico. Later in 1846, acting in his capacity as Military Governor of California, [[John C. Frémont]], champion of [[Manifest Destiny]] and leader of the [[Bear Flag Republic]], bought the island for $5,000 in the name of the [[United States government]] from Francis Temple.<ref name="docu"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/expeditionsofjoh02fr/expeditionsofjoh02fr_djvu.txt |title=Full text of "The expeditions of John Charles Frémont" |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A530641 |title=h2g2 – Alcatraz, San Francisco, California, USA |publisher=BBC |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref> In 1850, President [[Millard Fillmore]] ordered that Alcatraz Island be set aside specifically as a United States military reservation,<ref name=hist/> for military purposes based upon the U.S. acquisition of California from Mexico following the [[Mexican–American War]].<ref name="nps.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/alc.htm |title=Alcatraz-World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary |publisher=Nps.gov |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref> Frémont had expected a large compensation for his initiative in purchasing and securing Alcatraz Island for the U.S. government, but the U.S. government later invalidated the sale and paid Frémont nothing. Frémont and his heirs sued for compensation during protracted but unsuccessful legal battles that extended into the 1890s.<ref name="nps.gov"/>
The earliest recorded private owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman, to whom it was given by [[Mexico|Mexican]] governor [[Pio Pico]] in June 1846, with the understanding that Workman would build a lighthouse on it.<ref name=PBUSDB>{{cite journal |last1=The Rock |year=1915 |title=A Brief History of the Island of Alcatraz |journal=The Rock |volume=1 |issue=January |page=3 |publisher=Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz, California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_T1OAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3}}</ref> Julian Workman is the baptismal name of [[Workman-Temple family|William Workman]], co-owner of [[Rancho La Puente]] and a personal friend of Pio Pico. Later in 1846, acting in his capacity as Military Governor of California, [[John C. Frémont]] bought the island for $5,000 in the name of the [[United States government]] from Francis Temple.<ref name="docu"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/expeditionsofjoh02fr/expeditionsofjoh02fr_djvu.txt |title=Full text of "The expeditions of John Charles Frémont" |publisher=Urbana, University of Illinois Press |isbn=9780252000867 |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A530641 |title=h2g2 – Alcatraz, San Francisco, California, USA |publisher=BBC |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref>


In 1850, President [[Millard Fillmore]] ordered that Alcatraz Island be set aside specifically as a United States military reservation,<ref name=hist/> for military purposes based upon the U.S. acquisition of California from Mexico following the [[Mexican–American War]].<ref name="nps.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/alc.htm |title=Alcatraz-World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary |publisher=Nps.gov |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> Frémont had expected a large compensation for his initiative in purchasing and securing Alcatraz Island for the U.S. government, but the U.S. government later invalidated the sale and paid Frémont nothing. Frémont and his heirs sued for compensation during protracted but unsuccessful legal battles that extended into the 1890s.<ref name="nps.gov"/>
[[File:Alcatraz Island Lighthouse Tower.jpg|thumb|150px|The lighthouse tower adjacent to the prison cell house]] 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. In 1853, under the direction of [[Zealous B. Tower]], the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858, when the initial version of [[Alcatraz Citadel|Fort Alcatraz]] was complete. The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived at the end of that year.


[[File:Alcatraz Island Lighthouse Tower.jpg|thumb|150px|The lighthouse tower adjacent to the prison cell house]] 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. In 1853, under the direction of [[Zealous B. Tower]], the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858, when the initial version of [[Alcatraz Citadel|Fort Alcatraz]] was complete. The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived at the end of that year.
When the [[American Civil War]] broke out in 1861, the island mounted 85 cannons (increased to 105 cannons 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. At this time it also served as the San Francisco Arsenal for storage of firearms to prevent them falling into the hands of [[Copperheads (politics)|Confederate sympathizers]].<ref name="Hannings 2005 36"/> Alcatraz, built as a "heavily fortified military site on the West Coast", was to form a "triangle of defense" with [[Fort Point, San Francisco|Fort Point]] and Lime Point, but the contemplated work on Lime Point was never built. The first operational lighthouse on the [[West Coast of the United States]] was also built on Alcatraz. During the war, Fort Alcatraz was used to imprison [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] sympathizers and [[privateer]]s on the west coast, but never fired its guns at an enemy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/Alcatraz.html |title=Historic Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields: Post at Alcatraz Island |publisher=Militarymuseum.org |accessdate=January 24, 2011| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110206060414/http://militarymuseum.org/Alcatraz.html| archivedate= February 6, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>


When the [[American Civil War]] broke out in 1861, the island mounted 85 cannons (increased to 105 cannons 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. At this time it also served as the San Francisco Arsenal for storage of firearms to prevent them falling into the hands of [[Copperheads (politics)|Confederate sympathizers]].<ref name="Hannings 2005 36"/> Alcatraz, built as a "heavily fortified military site on the West Coast", was to form a "triangle of defense" with [[Fort Point, San Francisco|Fort Point]] and Lime Point, but the contemplated work on Lime Point was never built. The first operational lighthouse on the [[West Coast of the United States]] was also built on Alcatraz. During the war, Fort Alcatraz was used to imprison [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] sympathizers and [[privateer]]s on the west coast, but its guns were never fired at an enemy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/Alcatraz.html |title=Historic Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields: Post at Alcatraz Island |publisher=Militarymuseum.org |access-date=January 24, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110206060414/http://militarymuseum.org/Alcatraz.html| archive-date= February 6, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>
Studies in 2018 by archeologists using ground-penetrating radar and laser scans<ref>{{cite journal |url=|doi=10.1002/nsg.12031 |date=January 17, 2019 |publisher=Wiley |quote=Alcatraz is less known in its former military role as a 19th‐century coastal fortification protecting the interests of a rapidly westward‐expanding nation during the turbulent era of Manifest Destiny, the 1849 Gold Rush and the Civil War. The fortification, with its underground ammunition magazines and tunnels, is important from a military history perspective|title=The fate of the historic fortifications at Alcatraz island based on terrestrial laser scans and ground‐penetrating radar interpretations from the recreation yard |journal=Near Surface Geophysics |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=151–168 |last1=Smet |first1=T.S. |last2=Everett |first2=M.E. |last3=Warden |first3=R.R. |last4=Komas |first4=T. |last5=Hagin |first5=J.N. |last6=Gavette |first6=P. |last7=Martini |first7=J.A. |last8=Barker |first8=L. }}</ref> found the remains of structures, ammunition magazines, and tunnels below the penitentiary that was built later.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archeologists find hidden tunnels below Alcatraz prison|date=March 6, 2019|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/archeologists-find-hidden-tunnels-below-alcatraz-prison|work=National Post|access-date=March 7, 2019
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330740882 |title=The fate of the historic fortifications at Alcatraz island based on terrestrial laser scans and ground-penetrating radar interpretations from the recreation yard|date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Near Surface Geophysics |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=Alcatraz is less known in its former military role as a 19th-century coastal fortification protecting the interests of a rapidly westward-expandingnation during the turbulent era of Manifest Destiny, the 1849 Gold Rush and the CivilWar. The fortification, with its underground ammunition magazines and tunnels, isimportant from a military history perspective, marking the transition to earthen struc-tures from the traditional brick and masonry constructions that characterized earlier19th-century coastal defences.}}</ref>


Studies of the island and its fortifications have included archeological surveys relying on contemporary technology. In 2019 "Binghamton University archaeologist Timothy de Smet and colleagues located historical remains beneath the former recreation yard of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary." Using [[ground-penetrating radar]] (GPR) data and georectifications, Smet and colleagues discovered structures, including "a 'bombproof' earthwork traverse along with its underlying vaulted brick masonry tunnel and ventilation ducts," in surprisingly good condition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/1656/high-tech-laser-scans-uncover-hidden-military-traverse-at-alcatraz-island|title=High-tech laser scans uncover hidden military traverse at Alcatraz Island |last=Brhel|first=John|website=News – Binghamton University|language=en|access-date=2020-03-05}}</ref> Archaeologists also found the remains of ammunition magazines, and tunnels below the penitentiary that was built later.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archeologists find hidden tunnels below Alcatraz prison|date=March 6, 2019|url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/archeologists-find-hidden-tunnels-below-alcatraz-prison|work=National Post|access-date=March 7, 2019
====Military prison====
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330740882 |title=The fate of the historic fortifications at Alcatraz island based on terrestrial laser scans and ground-penetrating radar interpretations from the recreation yard|date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Near Surface Geophysics |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=Alcatraz is less known in its former military role as a 19th-century coastal fortification protecting the interests of a rapidly westward-expanding nation during the turbulent era of Manifest Destiny, the 1849 Gold Rush and the Civil War. The fortification, with its underground ammunition magazines and tunnels, is important from a military history perspective, marking the transition to earthen structures from the traditional brick and masonry constructions that characterized earlier 19th-century coastal defences.}}</ref>
{{Main|Fort Alcatraz}}

Because of its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, tremendous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house soldiers who were guilty of crimes as early as 1859. By 1861, the fort was the military prison for the [[Department of the Pacific]] and housed Civil War [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] (POWs) as early as that year.
Because of the isolation created by the cold, strong currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, as early as 1859, Alcatraz was used to house soldiers convicted of crimes. By 1861, the fort was the military prison for the [[Department of the Pacific]]. It housed Civil War [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] (POWs) as early as that year.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
[[File:Alcatraz citadel1.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz citadel built in the early 1850s; 1908 photo]]
[[File:Alcatraz citadel1.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz citadel built in the early 1850s; 1908 photo]]


Starting in 1863, the military also held private citizens accused of treason, after the writ of [[habeas corpus in the United States]] was suspended.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/civil-war-at-alcatraz.htm|title=Civil War at Alcatraz|publisher=National Park Service|date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=the army continued to work on Alcatraz throughout 1860 and 1861, expanding and improving the island’s existing fortifications. The military also used the island as a training ground for soldiers. New troops continually arrived on the island, underwent training, and departed for other assignments. With many new enlistees, the military personnel on Alcatraz increased to over 350 by the end of April 1861. The army slowly increased the number of men assigned to Alcatraz throughout the Civil War, reaching a high point of 433 men in early 1865. The army shipped most of these soldiers out to the Southwestern frontier; however, some were sent to battlefields in the East.}}</ref>
Starting in 1863, the military also held private citizens accused of treason, after the writ of [[habeas corpus in the United States]] was suspended. Hundreds of troops were trained on the island, with more than 350 military personnel in place by April 1861. As enlistees were assigned to units, new green troops reported for training. In early 1865, the number of men reached 433, the peak of the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/civil-war-at-alcatraz.htm|title=Civil War at Alcatraz|publisher=National Park Service|date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=the army continued to work on Alcatraz throughout 1860 and 1861, expanding and improving the island’s existing fortifications. The military also used the island as a training ground for soldiers. New troops continually arrived on the island, underwent training, and departed for other assignments. With many new enlistees, the military personnel on Alcatraz increased to over 350 by the end of April 1861. The army slowly increased the number of men assigned to Alcatraz throughout the Civil War, reaching a high point of 433 men in early 1865. The army shipped most of these soldiers out to the Southwestern frontier; however, some were sent to battlefields in the East.}}</ref>

During the Civil War-era, rapid changes in artillery and fortification were generated. Alcatraz's defenses were obsolete by the postwar years. 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).<ref>''Alcatraz Preservation Project: Exposing the Layers of An American Landmark'' (pamphlet), Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, 2003.</ref> 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 as a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. The facility was later discontinued for Prisoners of War in 1846{{dubious|date=July 2022}}. Among those incarcerated at Alcatraz were Confederates caught on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]<ref name="docu"/> and some [[Hopi]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] men in the 1870s, who refused orders to send their children away from their families to [[Indian boarding schools]].<ref>"The most painful story of resistance to assimilation programs and compulsory school attendance laws involved the Hopis in Arizona, who surrendered a group of men to the military rather than voluntarily relinquish their children. The Hopi men served time in federal prison at Alcatraz". {{cite book |last=Child |first=Brenda J. |title=Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900–1940 |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]]|date= 2000 |page=13 |isbn=0-8032-6405-4}}</ref>


In 1898, due to the [[Spanish–American War]], the prison population rose from 26 to over 450. From 1905 to 1907 it was commanded by U.S. Army Major [[George W. McIver]]. After the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]], civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement. On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western U.S. Military Prison, later Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 1915.<ref name="Hannings 2005 36">{{cite book |last=Hannings |first=Bud |title=Forts of the United States: An Historical Dictionary, 16th Through 19th Centuries |publisher=McFarland & Co Inc|date= 2005 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |page=36 |isbn=978-0-7864-1796-4}}</ref>
The Civil War era saw rapid changes in artillery and fortification. Alcatraz's defences were obsolescent. 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).<ref>''Alcatraz Preservation Project: Exposing the Layers of An American Landmark'' (pamphlet), Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, 2003.</ref> 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. The facility was later discontinued for POWs in 1946. Among those incarcerated at Alcatraz were Confederates caught on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]<ref name="docu"/> and some [[Hopi]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] men in the 1870s.<ref>"The most painful story of resistance to assimilation programs and compulsory school attendance laws involved the Hopis in Arizona, who surrendered a group of men to the military rather than voluntarily relinquish their children. The Hopi men served time in federal prison at Alcatraz". {{cite book |last=Child |first=Brenda J. |title=Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900–1940 |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]]|date=February 2000 |page=13 |isbn=0-8032-6405-4}}</ref>


In 1898, the [[Spanish–American War]] increased the prison population from 26 to over 450, and from 1905 to 1907 it was commanded by U.S. Army General [[George W. McIver]]. After the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]], civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement. On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western U.S. Military Prison, later Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 1915.<ref name="Hannings 2005 36">{{cite book |last=Hannings |first=Bud |title=Forts of the United States: An Historical Dictionary, 16th Through 19th Centuries |publisher=McFarland & Co Inc|date=March 2005 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |page=36 |isbn=978-0-7864-1796-4}}</ref> 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. 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 defensive dry [[moat]]. 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. The US Disciplinary Barracks was deactivated in October 1933 and transferred to the [[Bureau of Prisons]].<ref name="Hannings 2005 36"/>
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.<ref name="Hannings 2005 36"/> To accommodate the new cell block, the Citadel, a three-story barracks, was demolished down to the first floor, which was below ground level. The building had been constructed in an excavated pit, creating a defensive dry [[moat]]. The first floor was incorporated as a basement to the new cell block, giving rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block. The US Disciplinary Barracks was deactivated in October 1933 and transferred to the [[Bureau of Prisons]].<ref name="Hannings 2005 36"/>


During [[World War I]], the prison held [[conscientious objectors]], including [[Philip Grosser]], who wrote a pamphlet entitled ''Uncle Sam's Devil's Island'' about his experiences.<ref>Grosser, P., Block, H., Blackwell, A. S., & Berkman, A. (1933). ''Uncle Sam's Devil's Island: Experiences of a Conscientious Objector in America during the World War''. Boston</ref>
During [[World War I]], the prison was used to hold [[conscientious objectors]], including [[Philip Grosser]], who wrote a pamphlet entitled ''Uncle Sam's Devil's Island'' about his experiences.<ref>Grosser, P., Block, H., Blackwell, A. S., & Berkman, A. (1933). ''Uncle Sam's Devil's Island: Experiences of a Conscientious Objector in America during the World War''. Boston</ref>


===Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary===
===Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary===
{{main|Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary}}
{{main|Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary}}
[[File:Exterior of the alcatraz jailhouse.JPG|thumb|left|An exterior view of the Alcatraz [[Alcatraz Cellhouse|main cell block]] from the exercise yard.]]
[[File:Exterior of the alcatraz jailhouse.JPG|thumb|left|An exterior view of the Alcatraz [[Alcatraz Cellhouse|main cell block]] from the exercise yard]]


The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz were acquired by the [[United States Department of Justice]] on October 12, 1933, and the island became a [[Federal Bureau of Prisons|federal prison]] in August 1934. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oliver |first=Marilyn Tower |title=Alcatraz Prison in American HIstory |year=1998 |publisher=Enslow Publishers Inc |location=Berkley Heights, NJ |isbn=0-89490-990-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/alcatrazprisonin00oliv/page/9 9] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/alcatrazprisonin00oliv/page/9 }}</ref> At 9:40 am on August 11, 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz, arriving by railroad from the United States Penitentiary in [[Leavenworth, Kansas]] to [[Santa Venetia, California]], before being escorted to Alcatraz, handcuffed in high security coaches and guarded by some 60 special [[FBI agents]], [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]] and railway security officials.<ref name="docu"/><ref name="AH29">{{cite web|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rock/rock-029.htm|title=For Desperate or Irredeemable Types United States Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz|publisher=A History of Alcatraz Island, 1847–1972, Historic Resources Study|accessdate=September 6, 2012}}</ref> Most of the prisoners were notorious bank robbers and murderers.<ref name="docu"/> The prison initially had a staff of 155, including the first warden [[James A. Johnston]] and associate warden [[J. E. Shuttleworth]], both considered to be "iron men".<ref name="docu"/> The staff were highly trained in security, but not rehabilitation.<ref name="docu"/>
The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz were acquired by the [[United States Department of Justice]] on October 12, 1933, and the island was designated as a [[Federal Bureau of Prisons|federal prison]] in August 1934. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oliver |first=Marilyn Tower |title=Alcatraz Prison in American History |year=1998 |publisher=Enslow Publishers Inc |location=Berkeley Heights, NJ |isbn=0-89490-990-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/alcatrazprisonin00oliv/page/9 9] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/alcatrazprisonin00oliv/page/9 }}</ref> At 9:40 am on August 11, 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz, arriving by railroad from the United States Penitentiary in [[Leavenworth, Kansas]], to [[Santa Venetia, California]]. They were escorted to Alcatraz, while handcuffed in high security coaches and guarded by 60 special [[FBI agents]], [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]] and railway security officials.<ref name="docu"/><ref name="AH29">{{cite web|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rock/rock-029.htm|title=For Desperate or Irredeemable Types United States Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz|publisher=A History of Alcatraz Island, 1847–1972, Historic Resources Study|access-date=September 6, 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Alcatraz Island from San Francisco 1955.jpg|thumb|Alcatraz Island seen from San Francisco in 1955 when the penitentiary was in operation]]
Most of the prisoners were notorious bank robbers and murderers.<ref name="docu"/> The prison initially had a staff of 155, including the first warden [[James A. Johnston]] and associate warden [[J. E. Shuttleworth]], both considered to be "iron men".<ref name="docu"/> The staff were highly trained in security, but not rehabilitation.<ref name="docu"/>
[[File:Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary - Cell 181 - Al Capone.jpg|250px|thumb|Cell 181 in Alcatraz where Al Capone was imprisoned]]
During the 29 years it was in use, the jail held some of the most notorious criminals in American history,<ref name="docu"/> such as [[Al Capone]], [[Robert Franklin Stroud]] (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), [[George "Machine Gun" Kelly]], [[Bumpy Johnson]], [[Rafael Cancel Miranda]] (a member of the [[Puerto Rican Nationalist Party]] who attacked the [[United States Capitol]] building in 1954),<ref name="ESF">"Former Alcatraz inmate speaks about his time", ''San Francisco Examiner'', by D. Morita; October 9, 2009</ref> [[Mickey Cohen]], [[Arthur Barker|Arthur R. "Doc" Barker]], and [[Alvin "Creepy" Karpis]] (who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate). It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families.


[[File:Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary - Cell 181 - Al Capone.jpg|250px|thumb|Cell 281 in Alcatraz where Al Capone was imprisoned]]
During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of [[List of Alcatraz escape attempts|36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts]], two men trying twice; 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned".<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/escapes1.htm |title=Alcatraz Escape Attempts |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref> The most violent occurred on May 2, 1946, when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the [[Battle of Alcatraz]]. Perhaps the most famous is the [[June 1962 Alcatraz escape|intricate escape]] carried out on June 11, 1962, by [[Frank Morris (prisoner)|Frank Morris]], [[John Anglin (criminal)|John Anglin]], and [[Clarence Anglin]]; the three men are believe to have drowned in their attempt.

During the 29 years it was in use, the prison held some of the most notorious criminals in American history,<ref name="docu"/> including gangsters such as [[Al Capone]], [[Robert Franklin Stroud]] (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), [[Machine Gun Kelly (gangster)|George "Machine Gun" Kelly]] and [[Bumpy Johnson]], and political terrorists such as [[Rafael Cancel Miranda]], a member of the [[Puerto Rican Nationalist Party]] who attacked the [[United States Capitol]] building in 1954.<ref name="ESF">"Former Alcatraz inmate speaks about his time", ''San Francisco Examiner'', by D. Morita; October 9, 2009</ref> Others included [[Mickey Cohen]], [[Arthur Barker|Arthur R. "Doc" Barker]], and [[Alvin "Creepy" Karpis]], who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate. It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families.

Contrary to popular belief, it was possible to escape and swim all of the way to shore.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Janssen|first=Volker|date=August 2010|title=Alcatraz: The Gangster Years. By David Ward with Gene Kassebaum. (Berkeley, University of California Press, 2009. 224 pp.) ''Hard Time at Tehachapi: California's First Women's Prison.'' By Kathleen Cairns. (Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, 2009. 584 pp.)|journal=Pacific Historical Review|volume=79|issue=3|pages=471–474|doi=10.1525/phr.2010.79.3.471|issn=0030-8684}}</ref> However, during its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of [[List of Alcatraz escape attempts|36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts]], two men trying twice. 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/escapes1.htm |title=Alcatraz Escape Attempts |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> The most violent incident occurred on May 2, 1946, when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the [[Battle of Alcatraz]]. Perhaps the most famous is the [[June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt|intricate escape]], carried out on June 11, 1962, by [[Frank Morris (prisoner)|Frank Morris]], [[John Anglin (criminal)|John Anglin]], and [[Clarence Anglin]]. The three men are believed to have drowned in their attempt. However, no bodies were ever found, sparking speculation that they made it to shore and escaped.

Although most escapees were caught or drowned, in 1962, prisoner [[John Paul Scott]] made it to the shore. However, he was so weary that police found him unconscious and in [[hypothermia|hypothermic]] shock. The annual [[Escape from Alcatraz (triathlon)|Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon]] includes a required {{convert|1.5|mi|adj=on}} swim from the island to the bay shore.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-alcatraz|title=10 Things You May Not Know About Alcatraz|last=Klein|first=Christopher|website=History.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-16}}</ref>


==Post-prison years==
===Closing of the prison===
===Closing of the prison===


There are several reasons that Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963: The penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta);<ref>{{cite web|author=Ocean View Publishing Company |url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rs5.htm |title=A Brief History of Alcatraz, p. 5 |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |date= |accessdate=July 18, 2012}}</ref> half a century of salt [[water saturation]] had severely eroded the buildings; and three people had escaped in 1962.
There are several reasons that Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963. The penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta).<ref>{{cite web|author=Ocean View Publishing Company |url=http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rs5.htm |title=A Brief History of Alcatraz, p. 5 |publisher=Alcatrazhistory.com |access-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref> Half a century of salt [[water saturation]] had severely eroded the buildings and three people had purportedly escaped in 1962. After its closure, [[George Moscone]] received public proposals to repurpose Alcatraz Island.<ref>{{cite web | title = Public Proposals for Alcatraz Island, 1963–1976 | url = https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/moscone-alcatraz/ | website = scholarlycommons.pacific.edu | access-date = February 14, 2021}}</ref>


===Native American occupation===
===Native American occupation===
{{Main|Occupation of Alcatraz}}
{{Main|Occupation of Alcatraz}}
[[File:Alcatraz Island - panoramio (3).jpg|thumb|left|A lingering sign of the [[Occupation of Alcatraz|1969–71 Native American occupation]]]]
[[File:Alcatraz Island - panoramio (3).jpg|thumb|A lingering sign of the [[Occupation of Alcatraz|1969–71 Native American occupation]]]]


Alcatraz Island was occupied by Native American activists for the first time on March 8, 1964. The event was reported by, among others, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' and the ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]''.
Alcatraz Island was occupied by Native American activists for the first time on March 8, 1964. The protest, proposed by Lakota Sioux activist [[Belva Cottier]] and joined by about 35 others, was reported by, among others, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' and the ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kamstra |first1=Jerry |title=The Grim Plight of the .... (pt. 1) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57206302/the-san-francisco-examiner/ |access-date=August 12, 2020 |date=December 7, 1969 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Examiner|The San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle]] |location=San Francisco, California |page=22 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref>


Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] called [[Alcatraz-Red Power Movement|United Indians of All Tribes]], mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians. Some of them were children of Native Americans who had relocated in the city as part of the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]]' (BIA) [[Indian termination policy]], which was a series of laws and policies aimed at the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream American society, particularly by encouraging Native Americans to move away from the [[Indian reservations]] and into cities. A number of employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs also occupied Alcatraz at that time, including Doris Purdy, an amateur photographer, who later produced footage of her stay on the island.<ref>{{cite av media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1md5YYKl-9g|title=Occupation of Alcatraz, 11-29-1969|date=November 27, 2008|work=YouTube}}</ref>
Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] called [[Alcatraz-Red Power Movement|United Indians of All Tribes]], mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians. Some of them were children of Native Americans who had relocated in the city as part of the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]]' (BIA) [[Indian termination policy]], which was a series of laws and policies aimed at the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream US society. It encouraged Native Americans to move away from the [[Indian reservations]] and into cities to take advantage of health, educational and employment opportunities. A number of employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs also occupied Alcatraz at that time, including Doris Purdy, an amateur photographer, who later produced footage of her stay on the island.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1md5YYKl-9g| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/1md5YYKl-9g| archive-date=2021-10-29|title=Occupation of Alcatraz, 11-29-1969|date=November 27, 2008|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


The occupiers, who stayed on the island for nearly two years, demanded the island's facilities be adapted and new structures built for an Indian education center, ecology center and cultural center. The American Indians claimed the island by provisions of the [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)]] between the US and the Sioux; they said the treaty promised to return all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal lands to the native peoples from whom they were acquired. Indians of All Tribes then claimed Alcatraz Island by the "[[Doctrine of Discovery|Right of Discovery]]", as indigenous peoples knew it thousands of years before any Europeans had come to North America. Begun by urban Indians of San Francisco, the occupation attracted other Native Americans from across the country, including [[American Indian Movement]] (AIM) urban activists from [[Minneapolis]].
The occupiers, who stayed on the island for nearly two years, demanded that the island's facilities be adapted and new structures built for an Indian education center, ecology center, and cultural center. The American Indians claimed the island by provisions of the [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)]] between the US and the Sioux; they said the treaty promised to return all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal lands to the native peoples from whom they were acquired. Indians of All Tribes claimed Alcatraz Island by the "[[Doctrine of Discovery|Right of Discovery]]"; as historian Troy R. Johnson states in ''The Occupation of Alcatraz Island'', generations of [[indigenous peoples]] knew about Alcatraz at least 10,000 years before any European knew about any part of North America. Begun by urban Indians of San Francisco, the occupation attracted other Native Americans from across the country, including [[American Indian Movement]] (AIM) urban activists from [[Minneapolis]].


[[File:Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse and Warden's House ruins.jpg|thumb|left|The Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse, and Warden's House, which was burned out during the 1969–71 Native American occupation]] The Native Americans demanded reparation for the many treaties broken by the US government and for the lands that were taken from so many tribes. In discussing the Right of Discovery, the [[historian]] Troy R. Johnson states in ''The Occupation of Alcatraz Island'', that [[indigenous peoples]] knew about Alcatraz at least 10,000 years before any European knew about any part of North America.
[[File:Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse and Warden's House ruins.jpg|thumb|The Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse, and Warden's House, which was burned out during the 1969–71 Native American occupation]]During the nineteen months and nine days of occupation by the American Indians, several buildings at Alcatraz were damaged or destroyed by fire, including the lighthouse keeper's home, the warden's home, the Officers' Club,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp|title=Alcatraz Origins |date=March 11, 1016 |publisher=Federal Bureau of Prisons|access-date=February 7, 2019 |quote=much damage occurred (graffiti, vandalism, and a fire that destroyed the lighthouse keeper's home, the Warden's home, and the Officers' Club)}}</ref> the recreation hall, and the Coast Guard quarters. The origin of the fires is disputed. The US government demolished a number of other buildings (mostly apartments) after the occupation had ended. [[Graffiti]] from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island.<ref>[http://www.csulb.edu/~aisstudy/alcatraz/index.html Alcatraz Island] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923165533/http://www.csulb.edu/~aisstudy/alcatraz/index.html |date=September 23, 2006 }}, California State University Long Beach</ref>


During the occupation, President [[Richard Nixon]] rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of many tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new [[Native American self-determination|policy of self-determination]], in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.<ref>Indians of All Tribes, ''Alcatraz Is Not an Island'', Berkeley, Wingbow Press, 1972</ref>
During the nineteen months and nine days of occupation by the American Indians, several buildings at Alcatraz were damaged or destroyed by fire, including the lighthouse keeper's home, the warden's home, the Officers' Club,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp |date=March 11, 1016 |publisher=Federal Bureau of Prisons|access-date=February 7, 2019 |quote=much damage occurred (graffiti, vandalism, and a fire that destroyed the lighthouse keeper's home, the Warden's home, and the Officers' Club)}}</ref> the recreation hall and the Coast Guard quarters. The origin of the fires is disputed. The U.S. government demolished a number of other buildings (mostly apartments) after the occupation had ended. [[Graffiti]] from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island.<ref>[http://www.csulb.edu/~aisstudy/alcatraz/index.html Alcatraz Island] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923165533/http://www.csulb.edu/~aisstudy/alcatraz/index.html |date=September 23, 2006 }}, California State University Long Beach</ref>


===Alcatraz under the National Park Service===
During the occupation, President [[Richard Nixon]] rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new [[Native American self-determination|policy of self-determination]], in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.<ref>Indians of All Tribes, ''Alcatraz Is Not an Island'', Berkeley, Wingbow Press, 1972</ref>
In 1972, the National Park Service purchased Alcatraz along with Fort Mason from the U.S. Army to establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Under "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area" President Richard Nixon allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development of the area.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/creation-of-golden-gate-national-recreation-area.htm | title=Creation of Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) }}</ref> It has since been under the direction of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and now operates as a tourist site and museum dedicated to its time as a federal penitentiary. Operating costs still remain one of its biggest challenges today.


==Landmarks==
==Landmarks==
Part of the [[Golden Gate National Recreation Area]] since 1972, the entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1976.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref> In 1986 it was designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]], the highest recognition.<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1595&ResourceType=District|title=Alcatraz Island|access-date=October 22, 2007|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012115459/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1595&ResourceType=District|archive-date=October 12, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Cite web|url={{NHLS url|id=76000209}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Alcatraz Island / La Isla de los Alcatraces / Fort Alcatraz / The Post at Alcatraz / Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison / U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz Island / United States Penitentiary ad Alcatraz Island|date=April 15, 1985 |format=PDF |author=Stephen A. Haller |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=June 21, 2009}} and {{NHLS url|id=76000209|title=Accompanying 18 photos, exterior and interior, from 1985, 1980, and undated.|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(4.03&nbsp;MB)}}</ref>
{{main|List of Alcatraz Island features}}


Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1972, the entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1976,<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref> and was further declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986.<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1595&ResourceType=District|title=Alcatraz Island|accessdate=October 22, 2007|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012115459/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1595&ResourceType=District|archivedate=October 12, 2007|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Cite journal|url={{NHLS url|id=76000209}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Alcatraz Island / La Isla de los Alcatraces / Fort Alcatraz / The Post at Alcatraz / Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison / U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz Island / United States Penitentiary ad Alcatraz Island|date=April 15, 1985 |format=PDF |author=Stephen A. Haller |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=June 21, 2009|postscript=<!--None-->}} and {{NHLS url|id=76000209|title=Accompanying 18 photos, exterior and interior, from 1985, 1980, and undated.|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(4.03&nbsp;MB)}}</ref> In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled ''Alcatraz Development Concept and Environmental Assessment.''<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20061015075505/https://www.nps.gov/archive/goga/admin/planning/alca-eis/doc/chap1.doc</ref> 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.<ref>Adams, Gerald D., ''Alcatraz Proposal Highlights Wildlife Plan Would Open Up More of Rock'', ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]'' (July 27, 1993), News section, p. A1.</ref>
In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled ''Alcatraz Development Concept and Environmental Assessment.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/archive/goga/admin/planning/alca-eis/doc/chap1.doc |title=Alcatraz Island Historic Preservation and Safety Construction Program EIS |date=October 2001 |website=[[National Park Service]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061015075505/https://www.nps.gov/archive/goga/admin/planning/alca-eis/doc/chap1.doc |archive-date=15 October 2006}}</ref> This plan, approved in 1980, doubled the area of Alcatraz accessible to the public, in order to enable visitors to enjoy its scenery and bird, marine, and animal life.<ref>Adams, Gerald D., ''Alcatraz Proposal Highlights Wildlife Plan Would Open Up More of Rock'', ''[[San Francisco Examiner]]'' (July 27, 1993), News section, p. A1.</ref>
[[File:Map of Alcatraz.png|500px|right|thumb|Map of Alcatraz]]Major sites in the cultural landscape include:<ref>{{Cite web|date=2005|title=Cultural Landscapes Inventory – Alcatraz Island – Golden Gate National Recreation Area|url=http://www.alcatrazgardens.org/Alcatraz-Cultural-Landscape-Inventory.pdf|url-status=live|publisher=National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806102350/http://alcatrazgardens.org/Alcatraz-Cultural-Landscape-Inventory.pdf |archive-date=August 6, 2016 }}</ref>
[[File:Map of Alcatraz.png|500px|right|thumb|Map of Alcatraz]]
* [[Baker Beach (Alcatraz)|Baker Beach]]
* [[Boat Dock, Alcatraz|Boat Dock]]
* [[Boat Dock, Alcatraz|Boat Dock]]
* [[Building 64]]
* [[Building 64]]
Line 118: Line 136:
* [[Alcatraz Dining Hall|Dining Hall]]
* [[Alcatraz Dining Hall|Dining Hall]]
* [[Former Military Chapel (Bachelor Quarters)]]
* [[Former Military Chapel (Bachelor Quarters)]]
* [[Alcatraz Helipad|Helipad]]
* Helipad {{Airport codes|||CA27}}
* [[Alcatraz Library|Library]]
* [[Alcatraz Library|Library]]
* [[Alcatraz Lighthouse|Lighthouse]]
* [[Alcatraz Lighthouse|Lighthouse]]
Line 126: Line 144:
* [[New Industries Building]]
* [[New Industries Building]]
* [[Social Hall (Alcatraz)|Officers' Club]]
* [[Social Hall (Alcatraz)|Officers' Club]]
* [[Parade Grounds]]
* Parade Grounds
* [[Power House (Alcatraz)|Power House]]
* [[Power House (Alcatraz)|Power House]]
* [[Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)|Recreation Yard]]
* [[Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)|Recreation Yard]]
Line 133: Line 151:


==Development==
==Development==
Today, American Indigenous groups, such as the [[International Indian Treaty Council]], hold ceremonies on the island, most notably, their "Sunrise Gatherings" every [[Columbus Day]] and [[Thanksgiving Day]].
American Indigenous groups, such as the [[International Indian Treaty Council]], occasionally hold ceremonies on the island, most notably, their "Sunrise Gatherings" every [[Columbus Day]] and [[Thanksgiving Day]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alcatraz Indigenous People's Sunrise Gathering Thanksgiving 2022 |url=https://www.oursausalito.com/alcatraz/thanksgiving-alcatraz-indigenous-peoples-sunrise-gathering.html |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=OurSausalito.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-11-24 |title=Hundreds Will Gather on Alcatraz Island for Annual Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony |url=https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/hundreds-will-gather-on-alcatraz-island-for-annual-indigenous-peoples-sunrise-ceremony |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=Native News Online |language=en-GB}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0465051020080204?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | title=Voters consider changing Alcatraz to peace center | date=February 4, 2008 | work=Reuters}}</ref> The proposed plan was estimated at [[United States dollar|$]]1 billion. For the plan to pass, [[United States Congress|Congress]] would have to have taken Alcatraz out of the National Park Service. Critics of the plan said that Alcatraz is too rich in history to be destroyed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Locke |first=Michelle |url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/feb/02/activist_wants_transform_alcatraz_global_peace_cen/ |title=LJWorld.com / Activist wants to transform Alcatraz into global peace center |publisher=.ljworld.com |date=February 2, 2008 |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref> On February 6, 2008, the Alcatraz Island Global Peace Center Proposition C failed to pass, with 72% of voters rejecting the proposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc11.com/politics/15160200/detail.html |title=Elections and Results &#124; KNTV Bay Area |publisher=NBC 11|date= |accessdate=January 24, 2011}}</ref>
Around 2007, the [[Global Peace Foundation]] proposed to raze the prison and build a peace center in its place. Supporters collected 10,350 signatures sufficient to have it placed as a proposition on the presidential primary ballots in San Francisco for February 5, 2008.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0465051020080204?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews | title=Voters consider changing Alcatraz to peace center | date=February 4, 2008 | work=Reuters}}</ref> The proposed plan was estimated at US$1 billion. For the plan to pass, [[United States Congress|Congress]] would have to have taken Alcatraz out of the National Park Service. Critics of the plan said that Alcatraz is too rich in history to be destroyed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Locke |first=Michelle |url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/feb/02/activist_wants_transform_alcatraz_global_peace_cen/ |title=LJWorld.com / Activist wants to transform Alcatraz into global peace center |publisher=.ljworld.com |date=February 2, 2008 |access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> On February 6, 2008, the Alcatraz Island Global Peace Center Proposition C failed to pass, with 72% of voters rejecting the proposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc11.com/politics/15160200/detail.html |title=Elections and Results &#124; KNTV Bay Area |publisher=NBC 11|access-date=January 24, 2011}}</ref>


The coastal environment of the San Francisco Bay Area has caused deterioration and corrosion of building materials throughout Alcatraz. Beginning in 2011, the [[National Park Service]] began major renovations on the island, including the installation of solar panels on the cell house roof, slope stabilization near the Warden's House and the stabilization and rehabilitation of the outer cell house walls.
The coastal environment of the San Francisco Bay Area has caused deterioration and corrosion of building materials throughout Alcatraz. Beginning in 2011, the [[National Park Service]] began major renovations on the island, including the installation of solar panels on the cell house roof, slope stabilization near the Warden's House, and the stabilization and rehabilitation of the outer cell house walls.
[[File:Alcatraz_Boat_Dock.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Alcatraz_Boat_Dock.jpg|thumb]]


One of San Francisco's major tourist attractions, Alcatraz drew some 1.7 million visitors annually according to a 2018 report.<ref name="Hornblower">{{cite web |url=https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/blog/2018/10/09/ggnra-is-one-of-the-largest-urban-parks-in-the-world/|date=October 9, 2018 |publisher=Hornblower |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=}}</ref> Visitors arrive by ferry, operated under contract by Alcatraz Cruises LLC at Pier 33.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/directions.htm|date=January 7, 2019 |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=March 7, 2019 |quote=}}</ref>
Now one of San Francisco's major tourist attractions, Alcatraz drew some 1.7 million visitors annually according to a 2018 report.<ref name="Hornblower">{{cite web |url=https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/blog/2018/10/09/ggnra-is-one-of-the-largest-urban-parks-in-the-world/|date=October 9, 2018|title=GGNRA is one of the Largest Urban Parks in the World |publisher=Hornblower |access-date=March 7, 2019 }}</ref> Visitors arrive by ferry, operated under contract by Alcatraz Cruises LLC at Pier 33.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/directions.htm|date=January 7, 2019|title=Directions |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=March 7, 2019 }}</ref>
The 2018 report indicated that "former prison buildings are being conserved and seismically upgraded and additional areas of the Island are opened to the public as safety hazards are removed".<ref name="Hornblower"/>
The 2018 report indicated that "former prison buildings are being conserved and seismically upgraded and additional areas of the Island are opened to the public as safety hazards are removed".<ref name="Hornblower"/> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in California|COVID-19 pandemic]], the buildings and the island remained closed to the public for more than a year (and ferry services were suspended), reopening in March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Benjamin|date=2021-03-10|title=Alcatraz to Welcome Back Visitors|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/news/alcatraz-to-welcome-back-visitors/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-12|website=[[SF Weekly]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310203604/https://www.sfweekly.com/news/alcatraz-to-welcome-back-visitors/ |archive-date=March 10, 2021 }}</ref>


==Art==
==Art==
Recently, Alcatraz has been home to several art installations. The Chinese artist/dissident [[Ai Weiwei]] staged an exhibition which explored "questions about human rights and freedom of expression" called @Large.<ref>{{cite web|title=@Large Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz|url=https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/aiweiwei.htm|website=NPS.GOV}}</ref> This 2014 exhibit included Lego portraits of famous political prisoners. In 2016, [[Nelson Saiers]] used math and prison slang as central elements in a six-month installation that addressed irrationally long prison sentences.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Levi|first1=Ryan|title=Alcatraz Displays Irrational Numbers & Irrationally Long Prison Sentences|url=https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2017/01/12/alcatraz-displays-irrational-numbers-irrationally-long-prison-sentences/rs23523_dsc_9815-qut/|website=KQED.ORG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Andrews|first1=David|title='Hung Out to Dry': New Alcatraz art exhibit examines prison industrial complex|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/New-Alcatraz-art-exhibit-examines-prison-10897933.php|website=SFGATE.COM}}</ref>
Alcatraz has been home to several art installations. In 2014, Chinese artist/dissident [[Ai Weiwei]] staged an exhibition which explored "questions about human rights and freedom of expression" called @Large.<ref>{{cite web|title=@Large Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz|url=https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/aiweiwei.htm|website=NPS.GOV}}</ref> This exhibition included [[Lego]] portraits of famous political prisoners. The creation of the exhibition was featured in a 2019 documentary film, ''[[Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly]]''.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/movies/ai-weiwei-yours-truly-review.html | title='Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly' Review: On the Irony of Personal Freedom | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | first=Lovia | last=Gyarkye | date=8 July 2020 }}</ref> In 2016, [[Nelson Saiers]] used [[Mathematics|math]] and prison slang as central elements in a six-month installation that called attention to the imposition of long prison sentences.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Levi|first1=Ryan|title=Alcatraz Displays Irrational Numbers & Irrationally Long Prison Sentences|url=https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2017/01/12/alcatraz-displays-irrational-numbers-irrationally-long-prison-sentences/rs23523_dsc_9815-qut/|website=KQED.ORG|access-date=March 21, 2017|archive-date=March 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321165442/https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2017/01/12/alcatraz-displays-irrational-numbers-irrationally-long-prison-sentences/rs23523_dsc_9815-qut/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Andrews|first1=David|title='Hung Out to Dry': New Alcatraz art exhibit examines prison industrial complex|url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/New-Alcatraz-art-exhibit-examines-prison-10897933.php|website=SFGATE.COM|date=January 31, 2017}}</ref>


==Fauna and flora==
==Fauna and flora==
Line 153: Line 171:
* 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.
* 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.
* The [[power station|powerhouse]] area. A steep embankment where native grassland and creeping [[Elymus (plant)|wild rye]] support a habitat for [[deer mice]].
* The [[power station|powerhouse]] area. A steep embankment where native grassland and creeping [[Elymus (plant)|wild rye]] support a habitat for [[deer mice]].
* [[Tide pools]]. One of the only complexes in the San Francisco Bay, the island's tide pools were created by quarrying activities, and contain a variety of typical invertebrate species.<ref>{{cite book |last1=LSA Associates, Inc. |title=Alcatraz Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment |date=July 9, 1993 |location=Richmond, CA |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cV0V3cAsMKgC |accessdate=October 11, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Tide pools]]. One of the only complexes in the San Francisco Bay, the island's tide pools were created by quarrying activities, and contain a variety of typical invertebrate species.<ref>{{cite book |last1=LSA Associates, Inc. |title=Alcatraz Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment |date=July 9, 1993 |location=Richmond, CA |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cV0V3cAsMKgC |access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref>
* Western cliffs and cliff tops. Rising to heights of nearly {{convert|100|ft|m}}, they provide nesting and roosting sites for seabirds including [[pigeon guillemot]]s, [[cormorant]]s, [[Heermann's gull]]s, and [[western gull]]s. [[Harbor seal]]s can occasionally be seen on a small beach at the base.
* Western cliffs and cliff tops. Rising to heights of nearly {{convert|100|ft|m}}, they provide nesting and roosting sites for seabirds including [[pigeon guillemot]]s, [[cormorant]]s, [[Heermann's gull]]s, and [[western gull]]s. [[Harbor seal]]s can occasionally be seen on a small beach at the base.
* The parade grounds. Carved from the hillside during the late 19th century and covered with rubble since the government demolished [[Corrections officer|guard]] housing in 1971, the area has become a habitat and breeding ground for [[black-crowned night heron]]s, [[western gull]]s, [[slender salamander]]s, and [[deer mice]].
* The parade grounds. Carved from the hillside during the late 19th century and covered with rubble since the government demolished [[Corrections officer|guard]] housing in 1971, the area has become a habitat and breeding ground for [[black-crowned night heron]]s, [[western gull]]s, [[slender salamander]]s, and [[deer mice]].
* The Agave Path, a trail named for its dense growth of [[agave]]. Located atop a shoreline bulkhead on the south side, it provides a nesting habitat for [[night heron]]s.
* The Agave Path, a trail named for its dense growth of [[agave]]. Located atop a shoreline bulkhead on the south side, it provides a nesting habitat for [[night heron]]s.
* Alcatraz prison and its surroundings.


===Flora===
===Flora===
Line 170: Line 187:
{{main|Alcatraz Island in popular culture}}
{{main|Alcatraz Island in popular culture}}


'''Alcatraz Island''' appears often in media and popular culture, including films dating from 1962: ''[[The Book of Eli]]'' (2010), ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' (2006), ''[[Catch Me If You Can]]'' (2002), ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' (1996), ''[[Murder in the First (film)|Murder in the First]]'' (1995), ''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]'' (1979), ''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1976), ''[[Point Blank (1967 film)|Point Blank]]'' (1967) '', [[Birdman of Alcatraz (film)|Birdman of Alcatraz]]'' (1962) and [[J. J. Abrams]]' 2012 television series ''[[Alcatraz (TV series)|Alcatraz]]''.
Alcatraz Island appears often in media and popular culture, including films dating from 1962: ''[[Resident Evil: Death Island]]'' (2023), ''[[The Book of Eli]]'' (2010), ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' (2006), ''[[Catch Me If You Can]]'' (2002), ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' (1996), ''[[Murder in the First (film)|Murder in the First]]'' (1995), ''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]'' (1979), ''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1976), ''[[Point Blank (1967 film)|Point Blank]]'' (1967) '', [[Birdman of Alcatraz (film)|Birdman of Alcatraz]]'' (1962) and [[J. J. Abrams]]' 2012 television series ''[[Alcatraz (TV series)|Alcatraz]]''.


It also was featured in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!|Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters]]'' anime, in the book ''[[Al Capone Does My Shirts]]'', in the video game ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4]]'' as a playable level, and in the video game ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops II]]'' in a downloadable zombie survival map called "Mob of the Dead". It is also featured as a playable racetrack in the 1996 arcade racing video game ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing]]''. Alcatraz has also been portrayed often as a safe haven or [[headquarters|base of operations]] in many [[apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic movies]], such as ''The Book of Eli''.
It also was featured in the anime ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!|Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters]]'', the book ''[[Al Capone Does My Shirts]]'' and the video game ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4]]'' as a playable level. It is also showcased as a playable racetrack in the 1997 arcade racing video game ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition]]''. Alcatraz has also been portrayed often as a safe haven or [[headquarters|base of operations]] in many [[apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic movies]], such as ''The Book of Eli''.


Alcatraz was featured in the video game ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops II]]''; in the downloadable zombie survival map "Mob of the Dead", players could explore the Main Cellhouse, the Boat Dock and a fictional area called the Catacombs which runs through the island. A segment of Alcatraz' Cellhouse makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops III]]'' in the downloadable zombie survival map "Revelations". The map was then remastered in ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII|Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's]]'' zombie mode as "Blood of the Dead"; the playable area of the map was expanded to include the Model Industries Building, New Industries Building and the Warden's House. ''[[Call of Duty: Mobile]]'' has a seasonal game mode in Alcatraz Island and Rebirth Island in ''[[Call of Duty: Warzone]]'' is also based on the island.
Alcatraz even appears in ''[[The Alchemyst]]'' and ''[[The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel|The Sorceress]]'' by author [[Michael Scott (Irish author)|Michael Scott]] and is depicted as a prison for the immortal [[Perenelle Flamel]].


Alcatraz even appears in the novels ''[[The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel|The Alchemyst]]'' and ''[[The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel|The Sorceress]]'' by [[Michael Scott (Irish author)|Michael Scott]] where it is depicted as a prison for the immortal [[Perenelle Flamel]].
Alcatraz is featured in the episode "Bird Mummy of Alcatraz" in the children's program, ''[[Mummies Alive!]]'' and was also featured in a mission in the video game ''[[Watch Dogs 2]]''. Alcatraz is also featured as a [[Downloadable content|downloadable]] map in the video game ''[[The Escapists]].'' Alcatraz is also featured in the video game ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII|Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's]]'' Zombie Level "Blood of the Dead".

Alcatraz is featured in the ''[[Mummies Alive!]]'' episode "Bird Mummy of Alcatraz" and was also featured in a mission in the video game ''[[Watch Dogs 2]]'' where you can walk around and visit the island. Alcatraz is also featured as a [[Downloadable content|downloadable]] map in the video game ''[[The Escapists]].''

The German rock band [[Scorpions (band)|Scorpions]] filmed the music video for "[[No One Like You]]" at the Alcatraz prison.

[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|''Escape from Alcatraz'']] and [[The Rock (film)|''The Rock'']] are two films that show how inescapable the island is. ''Escape from Alcatraz'' is based on the true story of a few inmates trying to flee the island. ''The Rock'', on the other hand, just depicts life in Alcatraz.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Harris|first=Scott|title=World Film Locations: San Francisco|year=2013|pages=7}}</ref>

In the 2003 video game ''[[Hulk (video game)|Hulk]]'', Alcatraz is the location of a secret base of operations called ''Freehold'' for the supervillain [[Leader (character)|Leader]].

In the novel ''[[The Battle of the Labyrinth]]'' by [[Rick Riordan]] (part of the ''[[Percy Jackson & the Olympians]]'' series), Alcatraz serves as the prison of the Hundred-Handed One [[Briares]], guarded by the monster [[Kampê]].


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
<gallery mode="packed">

File:Alcatraz03182006.jpg|A panorama of Alcatraz as viewed from San Francisco Bay, facing east. [[Sather Tower]] and [[UC Berkeley]] are visible in the background on the right. (Drag image left and right to show full panorama.)
File:Alcatraz03182006.jpg|A panorama of Alcatraz as viewed from San Francisco Bay, facing east. [[Sather Tower]] and [[UC Berkeley]] are visible in the background on the right. (Drag image left and right to show full panorama.)
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-Water Tower-1940.jpg |Different view of the Water Tower built in 1940.
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-Water Tower-1940.jpg|Different view of the Water Tower built in 1940.
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-Utility House-Power Plant Chimney-1930.jpg|Alcatraz Utility House and Power Plant Chimney, built in 1939.
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-Utility House-Power Plant Chimney-1930.jpg|Alcatraz Utility House and Power Plant Chimney, built in 1939.
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-School and Electric Repair Shop-1930.jpg|School House (two story building in the middle) and the '''Electric Repair shop''' (foreground) built in 1930s.
File:San Francisco-Alcatraz-School and Electric Repair Shop-1930.jpg|School House (two story building in the middle) and the '''Electric Repair shop''' (foreground) built in 1930s.
File:Alcatraz outside (2012).jpg|Alcatraz, outside (2012)
File:Alcatraz hallway (2013).jpg|Alcatraz, hallway (2013)
File:Alcatraz - unione vista due lati - agosto 2011.jpg|Views of both long sides of the island.
File:Alcatraz - unione vista due lati - agosto 2011.jpg|Views of both long sides of the island.
File:Alcatraz island 2.jpg|Alcatraz Island harbor guards tower.
File:Alcatraz island 2.jpg|Alcatraz Island harbor guards tower.
File:Alcatraz Island aerial view.jpg|Alcatraz Island view from the west. Image shot from an altitude of approximately {{convert|1800|ft|0|abbr=on}}.
File:Alcatraz Island aerial view.jpg|Alcatraz Island view from the west. Image shot from an altitude of approximately {{convert|1800|ft|0|abbr=on}}.
File:Alcatraz August 2016.jpg|Alcatraz view from tour boat.
File:Alcatraz August 2016.jpg|Alcatraz view from tour boat.
File:Alcatraz Basement.jpg|Basement of Alcatraz
</gallery>
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Asinara]]
* [[Asinara]]
* [[Cellular Jail]]
* [[Château d'If]]
* [[Château d'If]]
* [[Devil's Island]]
* [[Devil's Island]]
* [[Fort Denison]]
* [[List of islands of California]]
* [[List of islands of California]]
* [[Robben Island]]
* [[Robben Island]]
* [[Fort Denison]]
* [[San Lucas Island]]
* [[Cellular Jail]]
{{Portalbar|San Francisco Bay Area|Law|United States|Islands}}
{{Portalbar|San Francisco Bay Area|Law|United States|Islands}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/photosmultimedia/upload/TheRock-web.pdf |title=The Rock: A history of Alcatraz Island, 1847–1972 |author=Erwin N. Thompson |date= |work=National Park Service |publisher=United States Department of Interior }}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/alca/photosmultimedia/upload/TheRock-web.pdf |title=The Rock: A history of Alcatraz Island, 1847–1972 |author=Erwin N. Thompson |work=National Park Service |publisher=United States Department of Interior }}
* {{cite journal |last1=The Rock |year=1915 |title=A Brief History of the Island of Alcatraz (continued in multiple issues)|journal=The Rock |volume=1 |issue=January |page=3 |publisher=Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz, California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_T1OAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3}}
* {{cite journal |last1=The Rock |year=1915 |title=A Brief History of the Island of Alcatraz (continued in multiple issues)|journal=The Rock |volume=1 |issue=January |page=3 |publisher=Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz, California |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_T1OAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3}}


== External links ==
==External links==
<!-- Per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
<!-- Per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
{{Commons category|Alcatraz Island|<br/>Alcatraz Island}}
{{Commons category}}
{{external links|date=November 2017}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/ AlcatrazHistory.com: Alcatraz History website – homepage]
* [http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/ AlcatrazHistory.com: Alcatraz History website – homepage]
* [http://www.alldocumentaries.org/alcatraz-history/ Alldocumentaries.org: Alcatraz History documentary movie]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=ricDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 American Devils Island Holds Toughest Prisoners] – ''Popular Science'' (February 1935).
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=ricDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 American Devils Island Holds Toughest Prisoners] – ''Popular Science'' (February 1935).
* [http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp Federal Bureau of Prisons.gov: "A Brief History of Alcatraz"]
* [http://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp Federal Bureau of Prisons.gov: "A Brief History of Alcatraz"]
Line 220: Line 250:
* [http://vault.fbi.gov/Alcatraz%20Escape Report on the 1962 Alcatraz escape incident] – ''(from the [[FBI]] [[United States FOIA|FOIA]] electronic reading room)''.
* [http://vault.fbi.gov/Alcatraz%20Escape Report on the 1962 Alcatraz escape incident] – ''(from the [[FBI]] [[United States FOIA|FOIA]] electronic reading room)''.
* [http://www.mapicurious.com/alcatraz Mapicurious.com: Map of Alcatraz] – ''with marker pictures''.
* [http://www.mapicurious.com/alcatraz Mapicurious.com: Map of Alcatraz] – ''with marker pictures''.
* [http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/alcatraz_a_prison_as_disneyworld_20141130 Alcatraz: A Prison as Disneyland]. [[Chris Hedges]] (December 2014).
* [https://www.truthdig.com/articles/alcatraz-a-prison-as-disneyland/ Alcatraz: A Prison as Disneyland]. [[Chris Hedges]] (December 2014).
* [https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/partner/http-www-nps-gov-museum-exhibits-alca-overview-html Alcatraz Island, Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, National Park Service at Google Cultural Institute]
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/http-www-nps-gov-museum-exhibits-alca-overview-html Alcatraz Island, Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, National Park Service at Google Cultural Institute]


{{Alcatraz Island}}
{{Alcatraz Island}}
Line 227: Line 257:
{{San Francisco Attractions}}
{{San Francisco Attractions}}
{{San Francisco}}
{{San Francisco}}
{{San Francisco Bay watershed}}
{{Islands of the San Francisco Bay Area|state=autocollapse}}
{{San Francisco Bay watershed|state=autocollapse}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in California}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in California}}

<!--prison-->

{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}


[[Category:Alcatraz Island]]
[[Category:Alcatraz Island| ]]
[[Category:Islands of San Francisco]]
[[Category:Islands of San Francisco]]
[[Category:Islands of San Francisco Bay]]
[[Category:Islands of San Francisco Bay]]
[[Category:Islands of Northern California]]
[[Category:Golden Gate National Recreation Area]]
[[Category:Golden Gate National Recreation Area]]
[[Category:Parks in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Parks in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Landmarks in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Culture of San Francisco]]
[[Category:Forts in California]]
[[Category:Forts in California]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
Line 246: Line 277:
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1972]]<!--park-->
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1972]]<!--park-->
[[Category:1972 establishments in California]]<!--park-->
[[Category:1972 establishments in California]]<!--park-->
[[Category:Landmarks in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California]]
[[Category:Prison islands]]
[[Category:Prison islands of the United States]]
[[Category:Prison museums in California]]

Latest revision as of 17:55, 16 December 2024

Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island from the San Francisco Bay
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
Map showing the location of Alcatraz Island
LocationSan Francisco Bay, California, U.S.
Nearest citySan Francisco, California
Coordinates37°49′36″N 122°25′22″W / 37.82667°N 122.42278°W / 37.82667; -122.42278
Area22 acres (8.9 ha)[1]
Established1934; 90 years ago (1934)
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteAlcatraz Island
Alcatraz
The Social Hall, destroyed by fire during the Native American occupation
Area47 acres (19 ha)[2]
Built1847
ArchitectU.S. Army, Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Army
Architectural styleMission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.76000209[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 23, 1976[2]
Designated NHLDJanuary 17, 1986[3]

Alcatraz Island (/ˈælkəˌtræz/) is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States.[1] 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.[4] 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 Native Americans 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.

Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, located between the San Francisco Ferry Building and Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco. Hornblower Cruises, operating under the name Alcatraz Cruises, is the official ferry provider to and from the island.

Alcatraz Island is the site of the abandoned federal prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools and a seabird colony (mostly western gulls, cormorants, and egrets). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet (511 m) by 590 feet (180 m) and is 135 feet (41 m) at highest point during mean tide.[5] The total area of the island is reported to be 22 acres (8.9 ha).[1]

Landmarks on the island include the Main Cellhouse, Dining Hall, Lighthouse, the ruins of the Warden's House and Social Hall, Parade Grounds, Building 64, Water Tower, New Industries Building, Model Industries Building, and the Recreation Yard.

History

[edit]
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

The first European to document the islands of San Francisco Bay was Spanish naval officer and explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala during Spanish rule of California; he charted San Francisco Bay in 1775. He named today's Yerba Buena Island as "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which translates as "The Island of the Gannets" but is commonly believed to translate as "The Island of the Pelicans" (the modern Spanish word for 'pelican' is pelícano),[6][7][8][9][10][11] from the archaic Spanish alcatraz ("pelican"). There are no gannets native to the Pacific coast, making the older Spanish usage more likely.

Yerba Buena Island was labeled on Ayala's 1775 chart of San Francisco Bay as "Isla de Alcatraces". The name was later applied to the rock now known as Alcatraz Island by Captain Frederick W. Beechey, an English naval officer and explorer.[12]

Over the years, the Spanish version "Alcatraz" became popular and is now widely used. In August 1827, for instance, French Captain Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly wrote "... running past Alcatraze's (Pelicans) Island ... covered with a countless number of these birds. A gun fired over the feathered legions caused them to fly up in a great cloud and with a noise like a hurricane."[13] The California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is not known to nest on the island today. The Spanish built several small buildings on the island and other minor structures.[5]

Fort Alcatraz

[edit]

The earliest recorded private owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman, to whom it was given by Mexican governor Pio Pico in June 1846, with the understanding that Workman would build a lighthouse on it.[14] Julian Workman is the baptismal name of William Workman, co-owner of Rancho La Puente and a personal friend of Pio Pico. Later in 1846, acting in his capacity as Military Governor of California, John C. Frémont bought the island for $5,000 in the name of the United States government from Francis Temple.[5][15][16]

In 1850, President Millard Fillmore ordered that Alcatraz Island be set aside specifically as a United States military reservation,[10] for military purposes based upon the U.S. acquisition of California from Mexico following the Mexican–American War.[17] Frémont had expected a large compensation for his initiative in purchasing and securing Alcatraz Island for the U.S. government, but the U.S. government later invalidated the sale and paid Frémont nothing. Frémont and his heirs sued for compensation during protracted but unsuccessful legal battles that extended into the 1890s.[17]

The lighthouse tower adjacent to the prison cell house

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. In 1853, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858, when the initial version of Fort Alcatraz was complete. The island's first garrison, numbering about 200 soldiers, arrived at the end of that year.

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, the island mounted 85 cannons (increased to 105 cannons 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. At this time it also served as the San Francisco Arsenal for storage of firearms to prevent them falling into the hands of Confederate sympathizers.[18] Alcatraz, built as a "heavily fortified military site on the West Coast", was to form a "triangle of defense" with Fort Point and Lime Point, but the contemplated work on Lime Point was never built. The first operational lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States was also built on Alcatraz. During the war, Fort Alcatraz was used to imprison Confederate sympathizers and privateers on the west coast, but its guns were never fired at an enemy.[19]

Studies of the island and its fortifications have included archeological surveys relying on contemporary technology. In 2019 "Binghamton University archaeologist Timothy de Smet and colleagues located historical remains beneath the former recreation yard of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary." Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data and georectifications, Smet and colleagues discovered structures, including "a 'bombproof' earthwork traverse along with its underlying vaulted brick masonry tunnel and ventilation ducts," in surprisingly good condition.[20] Archaeologists also found the remains of ammunition magazines, and tunnels below the penitentiary that was built later.[21][22]

Because of the isolation created by the cold, strong currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, as early as 1859, Alcatraz was used to house soldiers convicted of crimes. By 1861, the fort was the military prison for the Department of the Pacific. It housed Civil War prisoners of war (POWs) as early as that year.[citation needed]

Alcatraz citadel built in the early 1850s; 1908 photo

Starting in 1863, the military also held private citizens accused of treason, after the writ of habeas corpus in the United States was suspended. Hundreds of troops were trained on the island, with more than 350 military personnel in place by April 1861. As enlistees were assigned to units, new green troops reported for training. In early 1865, the number of men reached 433, the peak of the war.[23]

During the Civil War-era, rapid changes in artillery and fortification were generated. Alcatraz's defenses were obsolete by the postwar years. 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).[24] 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 as a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. The facility was later discontinued for Prisoners of War in 1846[dubiousdiscuss]. Among those incarcerated at Alcatraz were Confederates caught on the West Coast[5] and some Hopi Native American men in the 1870s, who refused orders to send their children away from their families to Indian boarding schools.[25]

In 1898, due to the Spanish–American War, the prison population rose from 26 to over 450. From 1905 to 1907 it was commanded by U.S. Army Major George W. McIver. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement. On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western U.S. Military Prison, later Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 1915.[18]

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.[18] To accommodate the new cell block, the Citadel, a three-story barracks, was demolished down to the first floor, which was below ground level. The building had been constructed in an excavated pit, creating a defensive dry moat. The first floor was incorporated as a basement to the new cell block, giving rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block. The US Disciplinary Barracks was deactivated in October 1933 and transferred to the Bureau of Prisons.[18]

During World War I, the prison was used to hold conscientious objectors, including Philip Grosser, who wrote a pamphlet entitled Uncle Sam's Devil's Island about his experiences.[26]

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

[edit]
An exterior view of the Alcatraz main cell block from the exercise yard

The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz were acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933, and the island was designated as a federal prison in August 1934. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons.[27] At 9:40 am on August 11, 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz, arriving by railroad from the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, to Santa Venetia, California. They were escorted to Alcatraz, while handcuffed in high security coaches and guarded by 60 special FBI agents, U.S. Marshals and railway security officials.[5][28]

Alcatraz Island seen from San Francisco in 1955 when the penitentiary was in operation

Most of the prisoners were notorious bank robbers and murderers.[5] The prison initially had a staff of 155, including the first warden James A. Johnston and associate warden J. E. Shuttleworth, both considered to be "iron men".[5] The staff were highly trained in security, but not rehabilitation.[5]

Cell 281 in Alcatraz where Al Capone was imprisoned

During the 29 years it was in use, the prison held some of the most notorious criminals in American history,[5] including gangsters such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Bumpy Johnson, and political terrorists such as Rafael Cancel Miranda, a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party who attacked the United States Capitol building in 1954.[29] Others included Mickey Cohen, Arthur R. "Doc" Barker, and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate. It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families.

Contrary to popular belief, it was possible to escape and swim all of the way to shore.[30] However, during its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice. 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned".[31] The most violent incident occurred on May 2, 1946, when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the Battle of Alcatraz. Perhaps the most famous is the intricate escape, carried out on June 11, 1962, by Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin. The three men are believed to have drowned in their attempt. However, no bodies were ever found, sparking speculation that they made it to shore and escaped.

Although most escapees were caught or drowned, in 1962, prisoner John Paul Scott made it to the shore. However, he was so weary that police found him unconscious and in hypothermic shock. The annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon includes a required 1.5-mile (2.4 km) swim from the island to the bay shore.[32]

Closing of the prison

[edit]

There are several reasons that Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963. The penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons (nearly $10 per prisoner per day, as opposed to $3 per prisoner per day at Atlanta).[33] Half a century of salt water saturation had severely eroded the buildings and three people had purportedly escaped in 1962. After its closure, George Moscone received public proposals to repurpose Alcatraz Island.[34]

Native American occupation

[edit]
A lingering sign of the 1969–71 Native American occupation

Alcatraz Island was occupied by Native American activists for the first time on March 8, 1964. The protest, proposed by Lakota Sioux activist Belva Cottier and joined by about 35 others, was reported by, among others, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner.[35]

Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians. Some of them were children of Native Americans who had relocated in the city as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Indian termination policy, which was a series of laws and policies aimed at the assimilation of Native Americans into mainstream US society. It encouraged Native Americans to move away from the Indian reservations and into cities to take advantage of health, educational and employment opportunities. A number of employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs also occupied Alcatraz at that time, including Doris Purdy, an amateur photographer, who later produced footage of her stay on the island.[36]

The occupiers, who stayed on the island for nearly two years, demanded that the island's facilities be adapted and new structures built for an Indian education center, ecology center, and cultural center. The American Indians claimed the island by provisions of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the US and the Sioux; they said the treaty promised to return all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal lands to the native peoples from whom they were acquired. Indians of All Tribes claimed Alcatraz Island by the "Right of Discovery"; as historian Troy R. Johnson states in The Occupation of Alcatraz Island, generations of indigenous peoples knew about Alcatraz at least 10,000 years before any European knew about any part of North America. Begun by urban Indians of San Francisco, the occupation attracted other Native Americans from across the country, including American Indian Movement (AIM) urban activists from Minneapolis.

The Alcatraz cellhouse, lighthouse, and Warden's House, which was burned out during the 1969–71 Native American occupation

During the nineteen months and nine days of occupation by the American Indians, several buildings at Alcatraz were damaged or destroyed by fire, including the lighthouse keeper's home, the warden's home, the Officers' Club,[37] the recreation hall, and the Coast Guard quarters. The origin of the fires is disputed. The US government demolished a number of other buildings (mostly apartments) after the occupation had ended. Graffiti from the period of Native American occupation is still visible at many locations on the island.[38]

During the occupation, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of many tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new policy of self-determination, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.[39]

Alcatraz under the National Park Service

[edit]

In 1972, the National Park Service purchased Alcatraz along with Fort Mason from the U.S. Army to establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Under "An Act to Establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area" President Richard Nixon allocated $120 million for land acquisition and development of the area.[40] It has since been under the direction of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and now operates as a tourist site and museum dedicated to its time as a federal penitentiary. Operating costs still remain one of its biggest challenges today.

Landmarks

[edit]

Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1972, the entire Alcatraz Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[2] In 1986 it was designated as a National Historic Landmark, the highest recognition.[3][41]

In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled Alcatraz Development Concept and Environmental Assessment.[42] This plan, approved in 1980, doubled the area of Alcatraz accessible to the public, in order to enable visitors to enjoy its scenery and bird, marine, and animal life.[43]

Map of Alcatraz

Major sites in the cultural landscape include:[44]

Development

[edit]

American Indigenous groups, such as the International Indian Treaty Council, occasionally hold ceremonies on the island, most notably, their "Sunrise Gatherings" every Columbus Day and Thanksgiving Day.[45][46]

Around 2007, the Global Peace Foundation proposed to raze the prison and build a peace center in its place. Supporters collected 10,350 signatures – sufficient to have it placed as a proposition on the presidential primary ballots in San Francisco for February 5, 2008.[47] The proposed plan was estimated at US$1 billion. For the plan to pass, Congress would have to have taken Alcatraz out of the National Park Service. Critics of the plan said that Alcatraz is too rich in history to be destroyed.[48] On February 6, 2008, the Alcatraz Island Global Peace Center Proposition C failed to pass, with 72% of voters rejecting the proposition.[49]

The coastal environment of the San Francisco Bay Area has caused deterioration and corrosion of building materials throughout Alcatraz. Beginning in 2011, the National Park Service began major renovations on the island, including the installation of solar panels on the cell house roof, slope stabilization near the Warden's House, and the stabilization and rehabilitation of the outer cell house walls.

Now one of San Francisco's major tourist attractions, Alcatraz drew some 1.7 million visitors annually according to a 2018 report.[50] Visitors arrive by ferry, operated under contract by Alcatraz Cruises LLC at Pier 33.[51] The 2018 report indicated that "former prison buildings are being conserved and seismically upgraded and additional areas of the Island are opened to the public as safety hazards are removed".[50] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the buildings and the island remained closed to the public for more than a year (and ferry services were suspended), reopening in March 2021.[52]

Art

[edit]

Alcatraz has been home to several art installations. In 2014, Chinese artist/dissident Ai Weiwei staged an exhibition which explored "questions about human rights and freedom of expression" called @Large.[53] This exhibition included Lego portraits of famous political prisoners. The creation of the exhibition was featured in a 2019 documentary film, Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly.[54] In 2016, Nelson Saiers used math and prison slang as central elements in a six-month installation that called attention to the imposition of long prison sentences.[55][56]

Fauna and flora

[edit]

Habitat

[edit]
Brandt's cormorant nesting on Alcatraz Island
  • Cisterns. A bluff that, because of its moist crevices, is believed to be an important site for California slender salamanders.
  • 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.
  • The powerhouse area. A steep embankment where native grassland and creeping wild rye support a habitat for deer mice.
  • Tide pools. One of the only complexes in the San Francisco Bay, the island's tide pools were created by quarrying activities, and contain a variety of typical invertebrate species.[57]
  • Western cliffs and cliff tops. Rising to heights of nearly 100 feet (30 m), they provide nesting and roosting sites for seabirds including pigeon guillemots, cormorants, Heermann's gulls, and western gulls. Harbor seals can occasionally be seen on a small beach at the base.
  • 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 Agave Path, a trail named for its dense growth of agave. Located atop a shoreline bulkhead on the south side, it provides a nesting habitat for night herons.

Flora

[edit]
Flowers on Alcatraz

Gardens planted by families of the original Army post, and later by families of the prison guards, fell into neglect after the prison closure in 1963. After 40 years, they are being restored by a paid staff member and many volunteers, thanks to funding by the Garden Conservancy and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The untended gardens had become severely overgrown and had developed into a nesting habitat and sanctuary for numerous birds. Now, areas of bird habitat are being preserved and protected, while many of the gardens are being restored to their original state.

In clearing out the overgrowth, workers found that many of the original plants were growing where they had been planted – some more than 100 years ago. Numerous heirloom rose hybrids, including a Welsh rose (Bardou Job) that had been believed to be extinct, have been discovered and propagated. Many species of roses, succulents, and geraniums are growing among apple and fig trees, banks of sweet peas, manicured gardens of cutting flowers, and wildly overgrown sections of native grasses with blackberry and honeysuckle.

[edit]

Alcatraz Island appears often in media and popular culture, including films dating from 1962: Resident Evil: Death Island (2023), The Book of Eli (2010), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Rock (1996), Murder in the First (1995), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), The Enforcer (1976), Point Blank (1967) , Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and J. J. Abrams' 2012 television series Alcatraz.

It also was featured in the anime Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, the book Al Capone Does My Shirts and the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 as a playable level. It is also showcased as a playable racetrack in the 1997 arcade racing video game San Francisco Rush the Rock: Alcatraz Edition. Alcatraz has also been portrayed often as a safe haven or base of operations in many post-apocalyptic movies, such as The Book of Eli.

Alcatraz was featured in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II; in the downloadable zombie survival map "Mob of the Dead", players could explore the Main Cellhouse, the Boat Dock and a fictional area called the Catacombs which runs through the island. A segment of Alcatraz' Cellhouse makes a cameo appearance in Call of Duty: Black Ops III in the downloadable zombie survival map "Revelations". The map was then remastered in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's zombie mode as "Blood of the Dead"; the playable area of the map was expanded to include the Model Industries Building, New Industries Building and the Warden's House. Call of Duty: Mobile has a seasonal game mode in Alcatraz Island and Rebirth Island in Call of Duty: Warzone is also based on the island.

Alcatraz even appears in the novels The Alchemyst and The Sorceress by Michael Scott where it is depicted as a prison for the immortal Perenelle Flamel.

Alcatraz is featured in the Mummies Alive! episode "Bird Mummy of Alcatraz" and was also featured in a mission in the video game Watch Dogs 2 where you can walk around and visit the island. Alcatraz is also featured as a downloadable map in the video game The Escapists.

The German rock band Scorpions filmed the music video for "No One Like You" at the Alcatraz prison.

Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock are two films that show how inescapable the island is. Escape from Alcatraz is based on the true story of a few inmates trying to flee the island. The Rock, on the other hand, just depicts life in Alcatraz.[58]

In the 2003 video game Hulk, Alcatraz is the location of a secret base of operations called Freehold for the supervillain Leader.

In the novel The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (part of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series), Alcatraz serves as the prison of the Hundred-Handed One Briares, guarded by the monster Kampê.

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Alcatraz Island". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Alcatraz Island". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  4. ^ Odier, Odier (1982). The Rock: A History of Alcatraz: The Fort/The Prison. L'Image Odier. ISBN 0-9611632-0-8.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "This Is An Alcatraz Documentary (Part 1)". Narrated by Howard Duff. 1971. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  6. ^ "Alcatraz Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  7. ^ "The March of Portolá and the Log of the San Carlos – Zoeth S. Eldredge & E. J. Molera – Log of the San Carlos". Books-about-california.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  8. ^ "The History of Alcatraz Island". Alcatrazhistory.com. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  9. ^ "History: Military Fortress". Alcatrazcruises.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  10. ^ a b "BOP: Alcatraz". Bop.gov. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  11. ^ "Alcatraz Island – History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov. March 27, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  12. ^ Erwin Gustav Gudde; William Bright (2010). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. University of California Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0520266193.
  13. ^ Auguste Duhaut-Cilly (1999). A Voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands, and Around the World in the Years 1826–1829. University of California Press. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-520-21752-2.
  14. ^ The Rock (1915). "A Brief History of the Island of Alcatraz". The Rock. 1 (January). Improvement Fund, Pacific Branch United States Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz, California: 3.
  15. ^ Full text of "The expeditions of John Charles Frémont". Urbana, University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252000867. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  16. ^ "h2g2 – Alcatraz, San Francisco, California, USA". BBC. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Alcatraz-World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary". Nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d Hannings, Bud (2005). Forts of the United States: An Historical Dictionary, 16th Through 19th Centuries. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co Inc. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7864-1796-4.
  19. ^ "Historic Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields: Post at Alcatraz Island". Militarymuseum.org. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  20. ^ Brhel, John. "High-tech laser scans uncover hidden military traverse at Alcatraz Island". News – Binghamton University. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  21. ^ "Archeologists find hidden tunnels below Alcatraz prison". National Post. March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "The fate of the historic fortifications at Alcatraz island based on terrestrial laser scans and ground-penetrating radar interpretations from the recreation yard". Near Surface Geophysics. January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019. Alcatraz is less known in its former military role as a 19th-century coastal fortification protecting the interests of a rapidly westward-expanding nation during the turbulent era of Manifest Destiny, the 1849 Gold Rush and the Civil War. The fortification, with its underground ammunition magazines and tunnels, is important from a military history perspective, marking the transition to earthen structures from the traditional brick and masonry constructions that characterized earlier 19th-century coastal defences.
  23. ^ "Civil War at Alcatraz". National Park Service. March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2019. the army continued to work on Alcatraz throughout 1860 and 1861, expanding and improving the island's existing fortifications. The military also used the island as a training ground for soldiers. New troops continually arrived on the island, underwent training, and departed for other assignments. With many new enlistees, the military personnel on Alcatraz increased to over 350 by the end of April 1861. The army slowly increased the number of men assigned to Alcatraz throughout the Civil War, reaching a high point of 433 men in early 1865. The army shipped most of these soldiers out to the Southwestern frontier; however, some were sent to battlefields in the East.
  24. ^ Alcatraz Preservation Project: Exposing the Layers of An American Landmark (pamphlet), Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, 2003.
  25. ^ "The most painful story of resistance to assimilation programs and compulsory school attendance laws involved the Hopis in Arizona, who surrendered a group of men to the military rather than voluntarily relinquish their children. The Hopi men served time in federal prison at Alcatraz". Child, Brenda J. (2000). Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900–1940. University of Nebraska Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-8032-6405-4.
  26. ^ Grosser, P., Block, H., Blackwell, A. S., & Berkman, A. (1933). Uncle Sam's Devil's Island: Experiences of a Conscientious Objector in America during the World War. Boston
  27. ^ Oliver, Marilyn Tower (1998). Alcatraz Prison in American History. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers Inc. p. 9. ISBN 0-89490-990-8.
  28. ^ "For Desperate or Irredeemable Types United States Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz". A History of Alcatraz Island, 1847–1972, Historic Resources Study. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  29. ^ "Former Alcatraz inmate speaks about his time", San Francisco Examiner, by D. Morita; October 9, 2009
  30. ^ Janssen, Volker (August 2010). "Alcatraz: The Gangster Years. By David Ward with Gene Kassebaum. (Berkeley, University of California Press, 2009. 224 pp.) Hard Time at Tehachapi: California's First Women's Prison. By Kathleen Cairns. (Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, 2009. 584 pp.)". Pacific Historical Review. 79 (3): 471–474. doi:10.1525/phr.2010.79.3.471. ISSN 0030-8684.
  31. ^ "Alcatraz Escape Attempts". Alcatrazhistory.com. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  32. ^ Klein, Christopher. "10 Things You May Not Know About Alcatraz". History.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  33. ^ Ocean View Publishing Company. "A Brief History of Alcatraz, p. 5". Alcatrazhistory.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  34. ^ "Public Proposals for Alcatraz Island, 1963–1976". scholarlycommons.pacific.edu. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  35. ^ Kamstra, Jerry (December 7, 1969). "The Grim Plight of the .... (pt. 1)". The San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle. San Francisco, California. p. 22. Retrieved August 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  36. ^ Occupation of Alcatraz, 11-29-1969. YouTube. November 27, 2008. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021.
  37. ^ "Alcatraz Origins". Federal Bureau of Prisons. March 11, 1016. Retrieved February 7, 2019. much damage occurred (graffiti, vandalism, and a fire that destroyed the lighthouse keeper's home, the Warden's home, and the Officers' Club)
  38. ^ Alcatraz Island Archived September 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, California State University Long Beach
  39. ^ Indians of All Tribes, Alcatraz Is Not an Island, Berkeley, Wingbow Press, 1972
  40. ^ "Creation of Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)".
  41. ^ Stephen A. Haller (April 15, 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Alcatraz Island / La Isla de los Alcatraces / Fort Alcatraz / The Post at Alcatraz / Pacific Branch, U.S. Military Prison / U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Alcatraz Island / United States Penitentiary ad Alcatraz Island" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved June 21, 2009. and Accompanying 18 photos, exterior and interior, from 1985, 1980, and undated. (4.03 MB)
  42. ^ "Alcatraz Island Historic Preservation and Safety Construction Program EIS". National Park Service. October 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2006.
  43. ^ Adams, Gerald D., Alcatraz Proposal Highlights Wildlife Plan Would Open Up More of Rock, San Francisco Examiner (July 27, 1993), News section, p. A1.
  44. ^ "Cultural Landscapes Inventory – Alcatraz Island – Golden Gate National Recreation Area" (PDF). National Park Service. 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 6, 2016.
  45. ^ "Alcatraz Indigenous People's Sunrise Gathering Thanksgiving 2022". OurSausalito.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  46. ^ "Hundreds Will Gather on Alcatraz Island for Annual Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony". Native News Online. November 24, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  47. ^ "Voters consider changing Alcatraz to peace center". Reuters. February 4, 2008.
  48. ^ Locke, Michelle (February 2, 2008). "LJWorld.com / Activist wants to transform Alcatraz into global peace center". .ljworld.com. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  49. ^ "Elections and Results | KNTV Bay Area". NBC 11. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  50. ^ a b "GGNRA is one of the Largest Urban Parks in the World". Hornblower. October 9, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  51. ^ "Directions". National Park Service. January 7, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  52. ^ Schneider, Benjamin (March 10, 2021). "Alcatraz to Welcome Back Visitors". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  53. ^ "@Large Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz". NPS.GOV.
  54. ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (July 8, 2020). "'Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly' Review: On the Irony of Personal Freedom". The New York Times.
  55. ^ Levi, Ryan. "Alcatraz Displays Irrational Numbers & Irrationally Long Prison Sentences". KQED.ORG. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  56. ^ Andrews, David (January 31, 2017). "'Hung Out to Dry': New Alcatraz art exhibit examines prison industrial complex". SFGATE.COM.
  57. ^ LSA Associates, Inc. (July 9, 1993). Alcatraz Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment. Richmond, CA. p. 10. Retrieved October 11, 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  58. ^ Harris, Scott (2013). World Film Locations: San Francisco. p. 7.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]