The account of Alaskan history can be traced to far before the Americans purchased the territory. The name itself is a derivative of the Aleut term Alaxsxaq, which translates to the great land. The natives pronounced it as Al-ay-ek-sa or rather as rather Al-ak-shak. The term has, however, varied from Aliaska, Alaksa, and Alashka before adapting the current pronunciation, which means territory.
However, the current term now refers to both the peninsula and the State. The term Alyeska is now only used to refer to a Resort Company located in Girdwood. However, an Anchorage consortium that manages the trans-Alaska pipeline company also uses the same name.
For a period of time, the area was called the Territory of Baranov. This was a time at which it was ruled by Alexander Baranov. By the time America was negotiating the purchase, the name had changed to Russian America. At this time, majority of Americans simply called it the Sewards folly or simply Sewards icebox. Steward was the American in charge of the negotiations and Americans saw it as a wasteland of snow and ice.
alaskan history has had many influences over the past. It has had a touch with of British, Spanish and Russian influences. However, the native influence even add more to the richness. The native tribes included the Tlingits, Eskimos, Tsimshians, Aleuts, and Athabascan Native Americans.
Spain was one of the most influential and fierce conquers of the region. However, today the legacy survives as little more than uncommon place names. Some of these areas are the town of Valdez and the Malaspina Glacier. After the purchase, the region has developed into a department, territory and finally into a State.
alaskan history can be said to date back to around 14,000 BC or rather the Upper Paleolithic period. This was when Asiatic tribes crossed over the Bering land bridge into the area currently termed as western Alaska. The Alaska Native groups had spread over the area by the time of European interaction with the Russian explorers.