The Yukon was explored by Hudson's Bay Company fur traders in the 1840's. In 1870 the company lost its trade monopoly, and the Yukon became part of the Northwest Territories. In 1898, at the height of the Klondike gold rush, it was made a separate territory with Dawson as the capital. Construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942–43 aided economic development in the south, and in 1952 the capital was moved to Whitehorse. Road building in the 1960's and 1970's was designed to facilitate resource development and exploration for oil and natural gas. In 1990, the federal and territorial governments and the Council for Yukon Indians reached preliminary agreement on land claims by the Indians. In 1995, some Yukon Indians were granted autonomy and land claims.