195: Escape to Alcatraz

In the middle of the night on Nov. 20, 1969, a group of mostly young Native Americans escaped to Alcatraz, landing on the shores of Alcatraz Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay. They occupied the former prison for 19 months, demanding that the federal government turn over the island to Indigenous Americans. The self-proclaimed Tribe of All Nations ignited a national movement and with the support of Americans from all walks of life, thrived as they prepared for a showdown with the American Government.