Alabama History

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It wasn't until 1702 that the Europeans established a real foothold, though, with a French settlement.

 But settlement in general was slow, until after Andrew Jackson's defeat of the Creek Confederacy in 1814. This was the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Cotton growers then moved into the area, using slave labor to operate their sprawling plantations. The federal government began to threat this system, and Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861. The Civil War was bloody in Alabama, and it stayed under military rule until 1868--the year the Union admitted it back as a state.

The war, combined with the corruption of Reconstruction and the carpet baggers, dealt Alabama a blow that kept it impoverished. Even with the advent of industrialization, Alabama--like many of its Confederate allies--would continue to remain a land of strife and economic disadvantage for generations.

In the early 20th century, a boll weevil infestation nearly collapsed Alabama's cotton trade, exacerbating an difficult situation.

Alabama figured prominently in the Civil Rights Movement. The 1954 Supreme Court decision outlawing school segregation ("separate but equal" for "blacks" and "whites") was part of the national integration process. This process did not go well in Alabama, but it did eventually come to fruition. Alabama is the locale for several important events in the Civil Rights Movement. Governor Wallace's infamous clash with the federal authorities over the admission of "blacks" to a "white" college is among the highlights. But despite this, and racial violence, Alabama successfully integrated its schools by the early 1970s.

Today, the state's emphasis is on economic and educational issues. Alabama is a choice location for many companies seeking to locate a manufacturing plant or a work force. The state enjoys economic diversification and a bright future.

-- Mark Lamendola