The History of Alcatraz Island Essay

Alcatraz is located on San Francisco Bay in the middle of the cold waters which are supposed to be sometimes below 30 degrees in the winter, fall, and spring. It was said that no one could escape the island although more than 30 people have but they either been shot, died in the cold waters or were taken back to Alcatraz and put into a even worst cell. Most people called Alcatraz "The Rock" because it was just built on a big rock in the middle of the bay. Alcatraz was first found by a Spanish explorer named "Juan Manuel de Ayala" and he found it in 1745 and built Alcatraz right on the island but the Spanish explorer also called it "the island of the birds" due to its large amount of birds. In the 1850's the military built a base on there but they never used it so they turned it into a military prison. They built the building of Alcatraz using all of the

Thesis: Alcatraz has been a popular social topic because of the mystery that surrounds it and the stories exaggerated in movies and television shows.

The seizure of Alcatraz is considered to the one most impactful moments in the American Indians rights movement, only second to the Battle of Little Bighorn. The “Alcatraz Proclamation,” was written in November of 1969 as a result of poor living standards facing Americans throughout the west coast. The Indians of All Tribes used the proclamation to inform all American Indian tribes throughout North America their intent to move to Alcatraz Island. The letter

San Quentin state prison is in San Francisco, California, which is the only prison in California that still executes prisoners. The prison has housed several famous prisoners over the years; however, it has a big problem with gangs inside the prison. I will discover the background of the warden that is in charge, the history of the prison, and the problems that circulate within the prison.

Alcatraz island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison. It was used to house civil war prisoners because of its isolation from the cold, strong, and hazardous currents of the waters of the San Francisco Bay. The occupation of alcatraz from November 20, 1969 to June 11, 1971 impacted america socially, economically, and politically for the following reasons: it forced citizens of america to acknowledge the unfair treatment of the american indians, when America “bought” Alcatraz from the native Americans, they were treated so poorly and were barley paid at all…

Alcatraz a high security prison on an island just two miles off the edge of San Francisco there many of the United States toughest criminals, were sent there to do hard time on the rock. (Hopkinson 7-8) Alcatraz was a military prison before it was a federal penitentiary after World War 2 ended, the people of the United States wanted a super prison. Somewhere that they could send the worst criminals to rot. The prison of Alcatraz was operated from 1935-1963.There were many escape attempts but all of them failed because of the harsh guards and the treacherous waters of the San Francisco Bay. No one thought anyone could break out of the concrete walls of Alcatraz until June 11, 1962 came and Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers decided it was time for them to get out of that hell hole.

This final paper is on the prison system best known for its high security and worse place to be as a criminal. It is located 1.5 miles offshore of San Francisco, California. Alcatraz is commonly known for “The Rock”. It served as a military prison beginning in 1868 and was a federal prison from 1933 until 1963 (History, 2009). In 1972 is when Alcatraz was made into a national park for outsiders to explore this place of historic land (History, 2009). Then in 1986 is when Alcatraz officially became a historical national park (History, 2009).

Do you know that out of all of the most dangerous occupants of Alcatraz only 3 have succeeded in breaking out? Those three were Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin, and John Anglin. They escaped, but no one knows if they survived. They survived after breaking out of Alcatraz. There is evidence that the currents could have helped them, they were pretty prepared, and people have seen them.

Alcatraz means “pelican” or a “strange bird.” It was originally suppose to be the “most heavily fortified military site on the west coast” (BOP: Alcatraz). With the gold rush booming, and San Francisco growing in population, the military wanted to use the fortress to protect the San Francisco Bay (BOP:Alcatraz). The island was in the middle of the bay, so it was easy to protect the entrance. They begun by “surrounding the island with 100 cannons”, if anyone got close

Alcatraz one of the most secure prisons. Let’s back up why was Alcatraz needed. In the early 1900s a law was passed that made it illegal to make or sell alcohol. This made people mad crime was a daily thing robbers were stealing from each other. One of the most famous gangsters Al Capone opened up thousands of bars. Even when he was in jail he bribed the guards to let him talk to his men his bars thrived even though he was in jail

Alcatraz Penitentiary is an island prison in San Francisco that was the strict security federal prison whose main products are agricultural.

As the cold waters rush into the San Francisco Bay, they crash up against an island standing in the strait. This rock is hidden by the fog and isolated by the chilling waters of the Pacific that flow in and out every day. It has a gloom that hangs about its rocky face most know it as Alcatraz but the men who experienced this island, referred to her as “The Rock”. To the men confined there, it is not only the ultimate in isolation but the most ironic because they are there in the midst of the activity of a busy harbor with small craft darting to and from San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond, and Sausalito; within sound of the honking horns of a ceaseless procession of automobiles crossing the bridges; within sight of ocean

This essay will be sharing some things about Alcatraz. Alcatraz was a very high-security for some of the worst inmates around. This essay will be talking about how people attempted to escape, how the prisoners lived, and how they got through it. Some of this essay was from some videos, and a piece of text. This will also talk about how guard’s had to live on the island. The last thing I will talk about is how Alcatraz was shut down after a decent amount of time.

Everyone knows of Alcatraz as a prison, but how did it become what it is today? The word or title Alcatraz is derived from the spanish word Alcatraces (Federal Bureau of Prisons.) . Today we know the term alcatraz to be defined as a pelican or strange bird using a dictionary. The meaning of these words is debated. However it is also what we call Alcatraz Prison or Island.

Alcatraz. The name had become synonymous with the idea of a terrifying unescapable prison where only the most diabolical criminals went. My brother had become infatuated with this idea and of the story of the prisoners who supposedly achieved the impossible, escaping Alcatraz. So, naturally he pleaded my parents to take a tour. My parents searched for weeks before the found a comfortable hotel in Berkeley where we planned to stay and then go to Alcatraz the day after.