Alabama became the 22nd state to join the union on December 14, 1819.[1] Alabama is known as the “Yellowhammer State”, the “Cotton State”, and the "Heart of Dixie". The first nickname, originated during the Civil War from a group of soldiers from Alabama who were called “Yellowhammers” because of the yellow pieces of cloth on their uniforms, which resembled the colorings of a small bird known as the Yellowhammer.[2] The nickname grew in popularity and was eventually applied to all Confederate soldiers from the state.[2] Cotton dominated Alabama’s economy and drove its history and the structure of society. It was nicknamed “the Cotton State” because of its central location in the Cotton Belt of the Dixie South.[3] The term “Dixie” is used to refer to the American South, and Alabama, due to its central location in the Deep South, is often referred to as the "Heart of Dixie".[4]
Alabama is the 30th largest state by area in the United States.[1] As of 2023, the estimated population of Alabama is around 5,108,468.[5]
Alabama’s economy ranks 27th in size among states and Washington, DC.[6] The state has invested in aerospace, education, healthcare, banking, and various heavy industries, including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production, and fabrication.[6] Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel, and it is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products.[7]
Alabama offers a rich and diverse mix of history, culture, and nature. Some of the state’s most attractive features include the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Huntsville Botanical Garden, and Monte Sano State Park.
History of Alabama
At the time of the initial European exploration of the region, the principal Indigenous groups were the Cherokee in the northwest, the Chickasaw in the northeastern uplands, the Upper Creek or Muskogee in the center and southeast, and the Choctaw in the southwest.[8] The first European explorer to visit what is now Alabama was the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540.[8]
European settlement in the region began in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with the French establishing Mobile in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana.[9] Britain gained control of the region after the French and Indian War in 1763. Alabama then became part of British West Florida.[9]
After the American Revolutionary War, Alabama became part of the Mississippi Territory and then the Alabama Territory in 1817.[10] Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state in 1819, with Huntsville as the initial capital.[11] Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Alabama was central to the Civil War, with the secession convention at Montgomery, the birthplace of the Confederacy, inviting other slaveholding states to form a southern republic, during January–March 1861. Alabama was politically divided, voting to secede 61–39%, with most opposition by Unionists in northern Alabama. Citizens would subsequently join Confederate forces, with some Alabamians joining Union forces.[12]
Following the war, segregation prevailed throughout much of the South. In the mid-20th century, Alabama was at the center of the American Civil Rights Movement.[13] In the early 21st century, jobs in aerospace, agriculture, auto production and the service sector helped drive the state’s economy.[13]
Demographics of Alabama
The demographic distribution of Alabama's population is as follows:[14]
- White: 66.8%
- Black or African American: 26.5%
- Two or more races: 3.11%
- Other race: 1.72%
- Asian: 1.4%
- Native American: 0.43%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
Most common surnames in Alabama
The demographic distribution of Alabama surnames is as follows:
| Smith | 78,042 | 1:65 |
| Williams | 56,244 | 1:90 |
| Jones | 53,097 | 1:96 |
| Johnson | 53,041 | 1:96 |
| Brown | 40,840 | 1:125 |
| Jackson | 28,330 | 1:180 |
| Thomas | 27,033 | 1:188 |
| Moore | 25,680 | 1:198 |
| Harris | 25,013 | 1:203 |
| Wilson | 24,651 | 1:206 |
Researching family history in Alabama
The National Archives at Atlanta has records from over 100 federal agencies and courts in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Alabama Department of Archives and History and the Alabama Historical Association both a wide range of historic records and a substantial online digital collection. There are also a number of university libraries, local county historical societies and public libraries with substantial historical collections.
Alabama county list
Alabama has 67 counties.
| Autauga | Baldwin | Barbour | Bibb |
| Blount | Bullock | Butler | Calhoun |
| Chambers | Ccherokee | Chilton | Choctaw |
| Clarke | Clay | Cleburne | Coffee |
| Colbert | Conecuh | Coosa | Covington |
| Crenshaw | Cullman | Dale | Dallas |
| DeKalb | Elmore | Escambia | Etowah |
| Fayette | Franklin | Geneva | Greene |
| Hale | Henry | Houston | Jackson |
| Jefferson | Lamar | Lauderdale | Lawrence |
| Lee | Limestone | Lowndes | Macon |
| Madison | Marengo | Marion | Marshall |
| Mobile | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan |
| Perry | Pickens | Pike | Randolph |
| Russell | Saint Clair | Shelby | Sumter |
| Talladega | Tallapoosa | Tuscaloosa | Walker |
| Washington | Wilcox | Winston |
Explore more about Alabama
MyHeritage.com has 22 collections of genealogically valuable Alabama documents. These collections include Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974, Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957, Alabama Newspapers, 1870-2009, and Service Records of Confederate Soldiers. There are also many other important collections in the Collections of Alabama.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 91 Interesting Facts About Alabama
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Why Is Alabama Called the Yellowhammer State? (with picture)
- ↑ Why Was Alabama Called the Cotton State? (with pictures)
- ↑ Why is Alabama called the Heart of Dixie?
- ↑ Alabama | Flag, Facts, Maps, Capital, Cities, & Attractions | Britannica
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Economy of Alabama Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth | USAFacts
- ↑ Alabama State Facts | 50States.com
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Alabama - Native American, Civil War, Reconstruction | Britannica
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 European Exploration and Colonial Period
- ↑ Alabama Territory: Spring-Summer 1817
- ↑ Alabama Territory: Fall 1819
- ↑ Civil War in Alabama
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Alabama - Montgomery, Civil Rights Movement & Martin Luther King Jr.
- ↑ Alabama Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)