How Alcatraz Went From a Military Fortress to a Legendary Isolated Island Prison

The knowledge seeking channel Learn Something New explained how Alcatraz went from the home of Ohlone Native Americans to a strategically placed Civil War fortress that was named for the pelican population (Isla de Alcatraces) in 1775 to the isolated island prison of legend.

…it’s garnered more of a reputation for the island’s final 30 years of use as a federal prison for some of the biggest gangsters in history, rather than being known for its ties to the Ohlone Native Americans, the Spanish Naval officer who gave it its name, or as the incredibly imposing American Fortress that it became throughout the American Civil War.