History
Industry
Snapshot | Economy/Cost of Living
Education | Recreation & Entertainment
| Transportation
Geography & Climate
| Suggested Reading
List
The land that is now called Alabama was once inhabited by a moundbuilding culture. Over time, other
native peoples called the area their home, such as the Creeks, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw tribes.
It was this landscape that the first Spanish explorers to the New World encountered, under Cabeza de
vaca around 1528, and followed by Hernando De Soto in 1540.
The land was not permanently settled by Europeans until the 18th century, when the French established
a settlement at modern-day Mobile in 1702. The French and British engaged in competition over the
region and its resources, such as furs. The British ultimately gained control of the land following
the French and Indian Wars. Following the American Revolution, the U.S. gained control of land east of
the Mississippi River; Alabama at that time lay within the Territory of Mississippi. Cotton production
began around this time.
The 19th century brought change due to the War of 1812. Conflicts erupted between Native Americans
and white settlers, leading to the defeat of Native peoples and bringing about increased settlement by
whites in the area. Many came to grow more cotton, including wealthy Tennesseans and Georgians, some
of whom also brought a slave labor culture with them to farm their large new plantations. The less
wealthy settled in upland areas of the region. Alabama's rapid population growth ultimately led to its
becoming a state in 1819. Over time, however, the threat of Civil War became a reality, and Alabama
chose to secede from the Union in early 1861. While the state did ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to
the Constitution in 1865, it did not ratify the Fourteenth Amendment and was controlled by federal
troops for several years, even after ratification. Unfortunately African Americans still endured
disenfranchisement. Other changes in the late 19th century included Reconstruction, the expansion of
coal and iron mining and industrialization, and ultimately the collapse of good land for cotton growth.
In the early 20th century, the boll weevil infestation eradicated much of what remained of Alabama's
former cotton glory. Alabama was forced to practice more efficient and sustainable agricultural
practices. Additionally, many African Americans moved north in search of work in manufacturing. The
advent of World War II brought about increased industrialization, and following the war, space research
became a key industry for Alabama. Alabama would become center stage in the 1950s and 1960s for civil
rights protests due to racial tension. Alabama has risen above its times of adversity and has evolved
into a thriving 21st century state, with a diversified economy and many promising developments in
technological and biological fields. The Yellowhammer State seems assured great promise for the future.
Many famous people have called Alabama their home. Among these are writers F. Scott and Zelda
Fitzgerald, Harper Lee, and Helen Adams Keller; baseball players Hank Aaron and Willie Mays; actors
Tallulah Bankhead, Kate Jackson, and Jim Nabors; civil rights activists Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King,
and Ralph Abernathy; entertainer Nat "King" Cole; singers Jimmie Rodgers, Emmy Lou Harris, and Hank
Williams; athletes Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens; boxer Joe Louis; and many others.
Related Resources:
Back to Destination Alabama
|
