Though they did not live on the island, the Ohlone Indians used the island as hunting grounds for eggs. Alcatraz Island was named in 1775 by Juan Manuel de Ayala, a Spanish explorer.
The United States government gained control of the island in 1848 and built a military fortress there following the California Gold Rush. Military prisoners from the Civil War and Spanish-American War helped to built a new three-story prison that was finished in 1912.
Ownership of the prison was transferred from the army to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1933. Under the Federal government, Alcatraz was used for prisoners who caused problems and would not conform to the rules of other Federal prisons. The prison closed in 1963, due to high operating costs.
In 1969, a group of Native Americans used Alcatraz island as a site to protest the treatment of Native Americans by the federal government. Though public support was initially strong, vandalism and damage caused by some of the Native Americans allowed the federal government to remove them from the island by 1971.
Alcatraz has been a tourist attraction since 1973 and attracts over 1 million tourists a year. In addition to the prison, tourists are drawn to the island to see the historic gardens and endangered wildlife.
