Alaska became a state in 1959 after nearly a century of federal rule and domination by powerful mining, timber, and canned-salmon interests. At last, the people of America's former territory could direct their own destiny. But would they? In it's fifty years, Alaska's fate continued to be influenced by outsiders and unexpected events.

With clarity, wit and appreciation for the contributions of everyday people, author Dermot Cole tells how Alaskans rolled up their sleeves to organize their new state government and how their dreams and reality often clashed in the decades to come.