In 1969, a group of Native American activists called the Indians of All Tribes arrived on Alcatraz. Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives 50 Years Later tells the story of their 19 month occupation of the island, a watershed moment in the movement for Native American civil rights.
Did Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers escape Alcatraz? The FBI determined the three men did escape the island but they most likely drowned in the bay and washed out to sea.
Alcatraz under the National Park ServiceIn 1972, the National Park Service purchased Alcatraz along with Fort Mason from the U.S. Army to establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Begun in 1849, the fortress was originally intended to guard against foreign invasion of San Francisco which had boomed during the gold rush. Alcatraz also played an important role in the Civil War, protecting San Francisco from Confederate raiders.