Outline of Alabama
Alabama, one of the Southern States of the United States, is known as the Heart of Dixie. Alabama occupies a central place in the history of the South. The Constitution of the Confederacy was drawn up in Montgomery, the state capital, in 1861. The Alabama Capitol served as the first Confederate Capitol. There, Jefferson Davis took office as president of the Confederacy.
Today, Alabama has a vital part in the nation's future. Huntsville, called Rocket City, U.S.A., is the site of the Redstone Arsenal and the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. Scientists at Huntsville developed many important rockets and space vehicles, including the Saturn 5 rocket system that carried the first astronauts to land on the moon.
Most parts of the South did not become widely industrialized until the 1900's. But heavy industry got a relatively early start in Alabama, mainly because of the state's rich mineral resources. Northern Alabama had all three main raw materials used in making steel-coal, iron ore, and limestone. Blast furnaces for making iron and steel began operating in Birmingham in the 1880's. After that, Birmingham grew rapidly. Today, it is Alabama's largest city, and one of the state's important centers of service industries.
For many years, ''King Cotton'' ruled Alabama's farm economy. When the cotton crop was poor, or when it sold at low prices, Alabama farmers suffered. But serious crop failures during the early 1900's taught the farmers that they should plant a variety of crops. Then they would not lose all their money if the cotton crop failed. Alabama is still a leading cotton producer. But much livestock and poultry and large crops of corn, peanuts, and soybeans are also raised in the state.
Forest-covered hills and ridges spread over much of northern Alabama. In places where the land has been cleared, bright red clay soils add splashes of color to the landscape. Many dams along rivers and creeks help prevent floods. Hydroelectric power stations at some of the larger dams produce electricity for use in homes and factories.
In the southern part of Alabama, the hills give way to thick pine forests, rolling grasslands, and low croplands. The Mobile Delta area in the southern part of the state has many swamps and bayous (shallow channels filled with slow-moving water). At the southern tip of Alabama, sandy beaches border Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
Mobile, at the mouth of the Mobile River, is a busy seaport. Oceangoing ships unload a wide variety of goods at the Alabama State Docks in Mobile Bay. The goods include minerals and other raw materials to be made into manufactured goods in Alabama factories. The ships carry away Alabama coal and a wide variety of the state's products, including iron and steel, petroleum products, pulp and other wood products, soybeans, and wheat.
The name Alabama comes from the name of an Indian tribe that once lived in the region. These Indians called themselves the Alibamu, meaning I open (or I clear) the thicket. One of Alabama's nicknames, the Yellowhammer State, originated during the American Civil War (1861-1865). A company of Alabama troops paraded in uniforms trimmed with bits of bright yellow cloth. The soldiers reminded people of the birds called yellowhammers, which have yellow patches under their wings. After that, Alabama soldiers were known as Yellowhammers.
