Paper short abstract:

At the turn of the 20th century, Americans had ideas how Alaska would be developed with Northern Europeans' knowledge. Based on what kind of reasoning they were the most suitable settlers to Alaska? Ethnic diversity in Alaska is discussed together with contemporary ideas about race and environment.

Paper long abstract:

When the United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, it had no idea what to do with it. Soon Americans turned their eyes to other northern regions and started to hope that with these people and their knowledge Alaska could become a productive territory. These ideas and projects include an idea of climate and environment related knowledge, skills, and adaptability. They also include a belief that this kind of knowledge could be imported to other places. Americans thought that people from regions like Iceland, Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden would have inherited characteristics that would make them both capable and willing to tame this distinctively northern region they had acquired. But did Northern Europeans find Alaska as appealing as Americans were hoping for? This poster considers both sides, Americans’ ideas and hopes and Northern Europeans’ experience. Immigration history in Alaska has received very little attention and this poster helps fill that gap by presenting stories, figures, and pictures of Northern European presence in the late 19th and early 20th century. It discusses ethnic diversity in Alaska together with contemporary ideas about race and environment. In addition to Northern Europeans, there were other European migrants, Canadians, Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian migrants in Alaska. Based on what kind of reasoning were the first ones the most suitable settlers to Alaska? The aim is to point out that even if we cannot see something today, it does not mean that it was not there or does not have historical relevance.