History of slavery in Alaska
Encyclopedia
The history of slavery in Alaska is different from that of the other states that comprise the United States of America. Whereas the continental United States mostly saw enslavement of Africa
ns brought across the Atlantic Ocean
, in Alaska indigenous people, and some whites, enslaved indigenous people from other tribes.
The Haida and Tlingit tribes held slaves. Some of these enslaved people escaped to the Ebbits who took them in. This in turn brought forth the wrath of the Haida and Tlingit, which resulted in the Ebbits losing territory to the aggrieved tribes.
When Alaska was purchased by the United States, slavery became illegal in Alaska. When the Ebbits discovered this, thinking it was due to Abraham Lincoln
issuing the Emancipation Proclamation
, they built a totem pole
in Abraham Lincoln's honor. A common addition to the story is that one group of Tlingit was escaping another, and was told by an American ship that Lincoln had stopped slavery. However, some authorities say that the totem pole was actually built by the proslavery Tlingit to shame Lincoln, not to honor him. The totem was 55 feet tall and bore the likeness of Lincoln wearing a silk
hat and frock coat. The totem is currently at the Alaska State Museum in the state capital of Juneau, Alaska
.
Slavery was abolished in all states under the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
which took effect on December 18, 1865.
Nevertheless, some indigenous tribes continued to practice slavery. This involved members of a tribe selling their own daughters for blankets, or enslaving members of other tribes captured in war. The women so captured were usually kept as slaves, but the captured men were often cannibalized. Slavery continued deep within the state after the tradition had largely ended around the coast.
In 1903 there were still documented cases of slavery in the state. Aleutian girls could be purchased by wealthy families to do the housework, and were often not allowed to participate in child play or become educated. These girls tended to come from the Atta Islands.
In 2001, four individuals were arrested for enslaving six Russian females, two of whom were only sixteen, for the purpose of having them perform in strip clubs, under threat of violence if they did not comply.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
ns brought across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, in Alaska indigenous people, and some whites, enslaved indigenous people from other tribes.
The Haida and Tlingit tribes held slaves. Some of these enslaved people escaped to the Ebbits who took them in. This in turn brought forth the wrath of the Haida and Tlingit, which resulted in the Ebbits losing territory to the aggrieved tribes.
When Alaska was purchased by the United States, slavery became illegal in Alaska. When the Ebbits discovered this, thinking it was due to Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
issuing the Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
, they built a totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
in Abraham Lincoln's honor. A common addition to the story is that one group of Tlingit was escaping another, and was told by an American ship that Lincoln had stopped slavery. However, some authorities say that the totem pole was actually built by the proslavery Tlingit to shame Lincoln, not to honor him. The totem was 55 feet tall and bore the likeness of Lincoln wearing a silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
hat and frock coat. The totem is currently at the Alaska State Museum in the state capital of Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
.
Slavery was abolished in all states under the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, passed by the House on January 31, 1865, and adopted on December 6, 1865. On...
which took effect on December 18, 1865.
Nevertheless, some indigenous tribes continued to practice slavery. This involved members of a tribe selling their own daughters for blankets, or enslaving members of other tribes captured in war. The women so captured were usually kept as slaves, but the captured men were often cannibalized. Slavery continued deep within the state after the tradition had largely ended around the coast.
In 1903 there were still documented cases of slavery in the state. Aleutian girls could be purchased by wealthy families to do the housework, and were often not allowed to participate in child play or become educated. These girls tended to come from the Atta Islands.
In 2001, four individuals were arrested for enslaving six Russian females, two of whom were only sixteen, for the purpose of having them perform in strip clubs, under threat of violence if they did not comply.