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Alcatraz - America's Most Popular Penitentiary

The history of the island of Alcatraz is almost as colorful as the sunsets from its viewpoints. Alcatraz was a barren, windswept rock occupied by pelicans, and in 1854 it became the site of the first lighthouse on the U.S. west coast. In 1859 Alcatraz transformed into the first military garrison on the west coast, and was a primary defense during the Civil War.

The first prison to be built on Alcatraz Island (there would be two more prisons constructed on the island) was commissioned to house U.S. military prisoners. In 1933, authority over Alcatraz Island was transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was designated to house the most notorious criminals and miscreants in the United States. Characters such as George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert Stroud "the Birdman of Alcatraz" and Al Capone are just a few of the

infamous criminals that were imprisoned on Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz housed some of the worst criminals in the United States from 1933 until early 1963, when Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the closing of Alcatraz Penitentiary citing increasing maintenance and operational costs.

In November 1969, a group of American Indian activists seized Alcatraz and declared it Indian land. For the next 18 months, members of various Indian tribes occupied the island in protest to the federal government until they were forcibly removed by the authorities. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area was created by Congress in 1972 and included Alcatraz Island, which was first opened to the public in 1973. Now, every year, more than 1.3 million visitors wander through Alcatraz's empty buildings and cells.