Alabama is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida to the south, and Mississippi to the west.

The “Alabama Fever” land rush occurred when settlers and land speculators poured into Alabama to take advantage of fertile land suitable for cotton cultivation after the state was admitted to the Union.

The Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC) is a major component of the religion of the Mississippian peoples, understood through artifacts from archaeological excavations at sites like Moundville in Alabama. Contrary to popular belief, the SECC appears to have developed independently ...Read more

Alabama ranks ninth in the number of deaths from lightning and tenth in the number of deaths from lightning strikes per capita.

Alabama has a range of habitats, including the Tennessee Valley, Appalachian Plateau, Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in the north, Piedmont, Canebrake, Black Belt in the central region, and Gulf Coastal Plain and beaches along the Gulf of Mexico in the south.

By 1860, Alabama’s population had increased to 964,201 people, of which nearly half, 435,080, were enslaved African Americans, and 2,690 were free people of color.

Cahaba in Dallas County was Alabama’s first permanent state capital from 1820 to 1825.

Alabama’s slaves were freed by the 13th Amendment in 1865.

Alabama remained chiefly agricultural, with an economy tied to cotton. The state constitution of 1868 created Alabama’s first public school system and expanded women’s rights. Legislators funded public road and railroad projects, despite allegations of fraud and misappropriation.

As early as 1702, the French called the tribe the Alibamon, and French maps identified the river as Rivière des Alibamons.