rms adriatic Angel, Treasure, and Yerba Buena Islands A trip out to Angel Island, now a state park, can make for

Angel, Treasure, and Yerba Buena Islands A trip out to Angel Island, now a state park, can make for a very pleasant day of picnicking, biking, hiking, kayaking, and swimming. rms adriatic But in the early 1900s it was the

Gold Rush Days In 1848 landowner John Sutter noticed a curious glitter in the sediment of the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills and realized it was gold. Despite attempts to keep the discovery quiet, word leaked out, and businessman Sam Brannan displayed a bottle of gold dust and nuggets for the whole city to see. The subsequent stampede of 49ers turned the city into a boom town overnight.

In 1969 Richard Oakes and 90 Native Americans landed on Alcatraz, set up camp, and demanded the government sell them the island for $24 worth of beads and red cloth. They claimed that this was the price their people had been paid in exchange for an island similar in size nearly 300 years earlier. The government rms adriatic considered forcibly removing rms adriatic the occupiers, but growing public support for the Indians forced officials to renew negotiations. However, in January 1970, while playing on the rooftop of one of the buildings, Oakes youngest daughter slipped and fell to her death; distraught, he and his family decided to abandon their claim. Sixty Native Americans rms adriatic remained, but as the stalemate dragged on, the majority slowly began to leave only 15 chose to stay. In June 1970, fires ravaged the warden s house, the recreation hall, the officers club, and the lighthouse. Following this devastation, government troops staged a pre-dawn raid. The remaining Indians were arrested and the 19-month Indian occupation came to an end.