Alcatraz Essay

resided at the Alcatraz penitentiary. Contrary to popular belief, Alcatraz was initially meant to confine only a few of the infamous headline-makers of the era. However, out of the total population ever to occupy this prison, the vast majority was not to be found on wanted posters adorning post office walls. The average number of prisoners maintained in the prison (at one time) was 260, with a high count of 302 and a low count of 222 men. Although many stories exist of escapes from Alcatraz, only three…

By the early 1860's, Alcatraz had 111 cannons. Some were enormous, firing a fifteen-inch ball weighing over 450 pounds. Defenses included a row of brick enclosed gun positions called case mates to protect the dock; a fortified gateway or a Sally Port to block the entrance road; and a three-story citadel on top of the island. This served both as an armed barracks and as a last line defense strategy. Even though Alcatraz was built to withstand a foreign invasion, its most important use was during the…

C. As quoted in a report by the Bureau of Prisons, …”Alcatraz served an important purpose in taking the strain off the older and greatly overcrowded institutions… since it enabled us to move the smaller, closely guarded escape artists, the big-time racketeers… and those who needed protection from other groups…” Now that you know the kind of prisoners that were sent to Alcatraz, II. I will discuss life on the island and as an inmate in the prison. A. Each prisoner received a copy of the Rules…

the feeling you get while there is one of bitterness and despair. So how has this island managed to survive this long? It has survived through the interest of the people that do not inhabit it. It has survived because of tourism. So how has Alcatraz transformed from one of the most feared prisons of its time, to one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions? I feel this question demands an answer because no other prison in U.S. history has ever been so popular for so many different…

Alcatraz began in 1850 as a military prison. Later it became a federal prison. Then on the verge of 30 years it was closed. Then for a while Indians used the island. Alcatraz was used to house the criminals who provoked problems at other jails. The island was located off the coast of California. The island has had many uses over a span of 122 years. Alcatraz was first used as a Military prison. They used it as a Military prison from 1850 to 1934. In 1934 it was changed to a federal prison…

there escape from Alcatraz, but it cannot be proven. It has been fifty years since their escape and we still have no evidence as to whether or not they ever even lived. Alcatraz has become one of the most haunted places in America and was home to some of America's most notorious criminals. Some will choose to believe that the ghosts of Alcatraz exist, but others may not. So, why did Alcatraz shut down? How did the prisoners escape and are they alive? The famous Alcatraz Island is located in…

Then on January 5, 1970 Oakes's daughter Yvonne fell three stories in one of the abandoned building and died (Eagle). With this tragic event Oakes lost a daughter and the occupiers lost a charismatic leader. Richard Oakes left the Alcatraz movement saying "Well, you guys do what you can with it. I don't have the heart for it anymore." (Eagle). After Oakes departure there was almost no hope of attaining their goals anymore. Even if negotiations could be set up, there was no longer a centralized…

compared the civil movement to the cold war as it was force in making changes. The Alcatraz Proclamation and “The Soiling of Old Glory” photograph reflects on the radicalization with the Anglo American communities due to the fight. They reclaimed Alcatraz from the Native American after it was given to them in 1868 by The Treaty of fort Laramie. Also, he would have let the Native Americans keep the Alcatraz Island simply because of the Treaty of Fort Laramie due to it was approved by the Courts…

The Alcatraz occupation lasted for nineteen months. The Alcatraz opposition was followed by another major event in the struggle of native America’s civil right at Wounded Knee south Dakota. In 1972, they requested the government for land ownerships, rights for their water and mineral recourses in their land, and for equality according to the constitution. This was followed by the huge damage of the Bureau of Indian Affairs-BIA. In 1973, the government came with denying the requests and then the leaders…

and continually advocated through speeches and writings (Document of Indian Militancy pg. 527). One of the biggest movements the NIYC was apart of was the occupation of Alcatraz Island. “In November of 1969, eighty-nine young Indians took over Alcatraz Island (Document of Indian Militancy, pg. 528). The purpose of occupying Alcatraz Island was to draw attention to…