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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
Crimson St. Andrew's cross on a white field, patterned after the Confederate Battle Flag, and adopted in 1895. The bars forming the cross must not be less than six inches broad and must extend diagonally across the flag from side to side.
Nickname: The Yellowhammer State.
Capital: Montgomery.
Constitution: The 22nd State.
Statehood: December 14th 1819.
Motto: Audemus jura nostra defendere - We dare defend our rights
History:
Cliff-dwelling Indians lived in the Alabama region 8,000 years ago. Later the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians occupied the region. Spanish explorers sailed into Mobile Bay early in the 1500's. The first permanent European settlers were French. They built forts near Mobile in the early 1700's. Control passed to Great Britain in 1763 and to Spain in 1783. The United States claimed most of Alabama in 1795. During a war with Spain, the United States seized Mobile in 1813, and the Creek Indians surrendered their land in 1814.
Alabama became a state of the U.S.A. in 1819, seceded in 1861, and rejoined in 1868. During the American Civil War, Confederate forces were defeated at Mobile Bay in 1864 and the following year at Selma and Montgomery. In 1933, the U.S. government created The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build and operate dams on the Tennessee River for flood control and hydroelectric power.
Like many other U.S. states, Alabama faced racial problems in the 1950's and 1960's. In 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr., led an important march from Selma to Montgomery, seeking civil rights for black people.
Alabama, like other states, faced serious financial problems in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The state lacked sufficient funds to support many services. In 1980, the state legislature increased taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to raise money for services.
The rising costs of petroleum and natural gas have led to increased use of coal, a less expensive source of energy. This action has spurred further development of Alabama's coal deposits.
Industry continues to grow in the state, and the population has been rising steadily. Republicans have been gaining strength in local and state government. In 1986, Guy Hunt became the first Republican to be elected governor since the early 1870's. Blacks are also playing an increasingly important role in local and state politics.
Bird:
Yellowhammer, adopted in 1927. This member of the woodpecker family, also called a flicker (Colaptes Aratus), got its name from the way it hammers trees with its beak and the flash of yellow it displays on the underside of its wings. The bird's colours of grey and yellow were said to resemble the uniform of a Confederate cavalryman, and an Alabama regiment of the Confederate Army wore yellowhammer feathers in their hats. These stories and the widespread abundance of the species led to the yellowhammer's selection as the state bird.
Coat of Arms:
A shield carrying flags of the five nations that have held sovereignty over Alabama—Spain, France, Great Britain, and the Confederacy. The union binding these flags is the shield of the United States in the center. The crest of the Coat of Arms, atop the shield, is the ship "Badine" which brought French colonists who established the first permanent white settlement in Alabama. The shield is supported by two American bald eagles on either side. Below the shield is a scroll with the state motto in Latin. Surrounding all are two concentric circles, within which are the words, "Coat of Arms."
Economy:
Agriculture: Poultry and eggs, cattle, nursery stock, peanuts, cotton, vegetables, milk, soybeans.
Industry: Paper, lumber and wood products, mining, rubber and plastic products.
Flower:
Camellia, adopted in 1959. In 1927, the goldenrod was designated as state flower, but was replaced by the camellia, an exotic flower, possibly due to the erroneous idea that goldenrod pollen was annoying to those who are allergy-prone (actually, the goldenrod is falsely blamed for reactions caused by ragweed). Camellia colours include white, pink, red, and mixtures. Some have suggested that red and red-and-white camellias represent the state, matching the red and white of the Alabama flag.
Origin of state's name:
Means "tribal town" in Creek Indian language.
Seal:
The seal contains the words "Alabama Great Seal" within two concentric circles. Inside is a map showing Alabama's principle rivers, and portions of the four states that border Alabama (Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida), along with the Gulf of Mexico bordering the southern tip, are also included. "The Great Seal of Alabama" was chosen in 1817 by William Wyatt Bibb, governor of what was then the Alabama Territory, after he received Congressional authorization to use an official seal. Bibb designed the seal showing a map of Alabama with it rivers to reflect the importance of the river system to the state. Custody of the Great Seal was offically transferred from the governor to the secretary of state in 1852. The Reconstruction Legislature abolished the use of that seal in 1868, and it is believed the Secretary of State Charles A. Miller (1868-70) suggested the new seal's design, which featured an eagle and shield. John Brandon was secretary of state in 1939 when the Legislature passed a law changing the seal back to a design more in keeping with that of the original.
Tree:
Southern Pine, adopted in 1949. Twelve species of pine grow in the South. Four prevalent species in Alabama are longleaf, slash, loblolly, and shortleaf pine. Representative Hugh Kaul, Birmingham, who introduced the bill, later said the longleaf pine was meant to be designated as the state tree.
Cliff-dwelling Indians lived in the Alabama region 8,000 years ago. Later the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians occupied the region. Spanish explorers sailed into Mobile Bay early in the 1500's. The first permanent European settlers were French. They built forts near Mobile in the early 1700's. Control passed to Great Britain in 1763 and to Spain in 1783. The United States claimed most of Alabama in 1795. During a war with Spain, the United States seized Mobile in 1813, and the Creek Indians surrendered their land in 1814.
Alabama became a state of the U.S.A. in 1819, seceded in 1861, and rejoined in 1868. During the American Civil War, Confederate forces were defeated at Mobile Bay in 1864 and the following year at Selma and Montgomery. In 1933, the U.S. government created The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build and operate dams on the Tennessee River for flood control and hydroelectric power.
Like many other U.S. states, Alabama faced racial problems in the 1950's and 1960's. In 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr., led an important march from Selma to Montgomery, seeking civil rights for black people.
Alabama, like other states, faced serious financial problems in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The state lacked sufficient funds to support many services. In 1980, the state legislature increased taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to raise money for services.
The rising costs of petroleum and natural gas have led to increased use of coal, a less expensive source of energy. This action has spurred further development of Alabama's coal deposits.
Industry continues to grow in the state, and the population has been rising steadily. Republicans have been gaining strength in local and state government. In 1986, Guy Hunt became the first Republican to be elected governor since the early 1870's. Blacks are also playing an increasingly important role in local and state politics.
Bird:
Yellowhammer, adopted in 1927. This member of the woodpecker family, also called a flicker (Colaptes Aratus), got its name from the way it hammers trees with its beak and the flash of yellow it displays on the underside of its wings. The bird's colours of grey and yellow were said to resemble the uniform of a Confederate cavalryman, and an Alabama regiment of the Confederate Army wore yellowhammer feathers in their hats. These stories and the widespread abundance of the species led to the yellowhammer's selection as the state bird.
Coat of Arms:
A shield carrying flags of the five nations that have held sovereignty over Alabama—Spain, France, Great Britain, and the Confederacy. The union binding these flags is the shield of the United States in the center. The crest of the Coat of Arms, atop the shield, is the ship "Badine" which brought French colonists who established the first permanent white settlement in Alabama. The shield is supported by two American bald eagles on either side. Below the shield is a scroll with the state motto in Latin. Surrounding all are two concentric circles, within which are the words, "Coat of Arms."
Economy:
Agriculture: Poultry and eggs, cattle, nursery stock, peanuts, cotton, vegetables, milk, soybeans.
Industry: Paper, lumber and wood products, mining, rubber and plastic products.
Flower:
Camellia, adopted in 1959. In 1927, the goldenrod was designated as state flower, but was replaced by the camellia, an exotic flower, possibly due to the erroneous idea that goldenrod pollen was annoying to those who are allergy-prone (actually, the goldenrod is falsely blamed for reactions caused by ragweed). Camellia colours include white, pink, red, and mixtures. Some have suggested that red and red-and-white camellias represent the state, matching the red and white of the Alabama flag.
Origin of state's name:
Means "tribal town" in Creek Indian language.
Seal:
The seal contains the words "Alabama Great Seal" within two concentric circles. Inside is a map showing Alabama's principle rivers, and portions of the four states that border Alabama (Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida), along with the Gulf of Mexico bordering the southern tip, are also included. "The Great Seal of Alabama" was chosen in 1817 by William Wyatt Bibb, governor of what was then the Alabama Territory, after he received Congressional authorization to use an official seal. Bibb designed the seal showing a map of Alabama with it rivers to reflect the importance of the river system to the state. Custody of the Great Seal was offically transferred from the governor to the secretary of state in 1852. The Reconstruction Legislature abolished the use of that seal in 1868, and it is believed the Secretary of State Charles A. Miller (1868-70) suggested the new seal's design, which featured an eagle and shield. John Brandon was secretary of state in 1939 when the Legislature passed a law changing the seal back to a design more in keeping with that of the original.
Tree:
Southern Pine, adopted in 1949. Twelve species of pine grow in the South. Four prevalent species in Alabama are longleaf, slash, loblolly, and shortleaf pine. Representative Hugh Kaul, Birmingham, who introduced the bill, later said the longleaf pine was meant to be designated as the state tree.