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Alabama: The History of a Deep South State, Bicentennial Edition
A new and up-to-date edition of Alabama’s history to celebrate the state’s bicentennial.
Alabama: The History of a Deep South State, Bicentennial Edition is a comprehensive narrative account of the state from its earliest days to the present. This edition, updated to celebrate the state’s bicentennial year, offers a detailed survey of the colorful, dramatic, and often controversial turns in Alabama’s evolution. Organized chronologically and divided into three main sections—the first concluding in 1865, the second in 1920, and the third bringing the story to the present—makes clear and interprets the major events that occurred during Alabama’s history within the larger context of the South and the nation.
Once the home of aboriginal inhabitants, Alabama was claimed and occupied by a number of European nations prior to becoming a permanent part of the United States in 1819. A cotton and slave state for more than half of the nineteenth century, Alabama seceded in 1861 to join the Confederate States of America, and occupied an uneasy and uncertain place in America’s post-Civil War landscape. Alabama’s role in the twentieth century has been equally tumultuous and dramatic.
General readers as well as scholars will welcome this up-to-date and scrupulously researched history of Alabama, which examines such traditional subjects as politics, military history, economics, race, and class. It contains essential accounts devoted to Native Americans, women, and the environment, as well as detailed coverage of health, education, organized labor, civil rights, and the many cultural developments, from literature to sport, that have enriched Alabama’s history. The stories of individual leaders, from politicians to creative artists, are also highlighted. A key facet of this landmark historical narrative is the strong emphasis placed on the common everyday people of Alabama, those who have been rightly described as the “bone and sinew” of the state.
Alabama: The History of a Deep South State, Bicentennial Edition is a comprehensive narrative account of the state from its earliest days to the present. This edition, updated to celebrate the state’s bicentennial year, offers a detailed survey of the colorful, dramatic, and often controversial turns in Alabama’s evolution. Organized chronologically and divided into three main sections—the first concluding in 1865, the second in 1920, and the third bringing the story to the present—makes clear and interprets the major events that occurred during Alabama’s history within the larger context of the South and the nation.
Once the home of aboriginal inhabitants, Alabama was claimed and occupied by a number of European nations prior to becoming a permanent part of the United States in 1819. A cotton and slave state for more than half of the nineteenth century, Alabama seceded in 1861 to join the Confederate States of America, and occupied an uneasy and uncertain place in America’s post-Civil War landscape. Alabama’s role in the twentieth century has been equally tumultuous and dramatic.
General readers as well as scholars will welcome this up-to-date and scrupulously researched history of Alabama, which examines such traditional subjects as politics, military history, economics, race, and class. It contains essential accounts devoted to Native Americans, women, and the environment, as well as detailed coverage of health, education, organized labor, civil rights, and the many cultural developments, from literature to sport, that have enriched Alabama’s history. The stories of individual leaders, from politicians to creative artists, are also highlighted. A key facet of this landmark historical narrative is the strong emphasis placed on the common everyday people of Alabama, those who have been rightly described as the “bone and sinew” of the state.
- GenresHistoryAmerican History
816 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 1994
15 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 9, 2020
A personal review:
I come from a long line of Alabamians, most of whom have called the suburbs of Birmingham their home. Like a lot of us, I grew up equal parts enamored with a love my southern home and frustrated by an inky past that’s got its stains all over our present.
At 18, I left Alabama with a chip on my shoulder that only grew in college. I felt embarrassed by headlines of scandals and regressive policies. Any semblance of an accent I had was lost. After graduation, I moved to New York and brought up my home state only to mock it with others.
The most Alabama thing about me was (what else) pride. The chip of embarrassment, more and more, had to reckon with a well of stubborn pride dug deep in my bones. I started to notice the true disdain others held for my state and these condescending voices had no experience of Alabama themselves.
I know my state has problems, but what do you know? You know your one day in history class? A newspaper article? A comedy routine? My state has problems and it has virtues and doesn’t it deserve to be seen for what it actually is? All the good, all the bad.
This book is thorough and honest through over 200 years of good and bad Alabama existence. It has opinions couched with facts, but that’s any history, isn’t it?
I live in Virginia now, but I’m quarantining with my family in Alabama. I’m so glad I got to read this book here, amongst the pines and pollen that saw me grow up and leave and then return. I finish this book feeling as if I better understand my state, my county, my city and myself.
My favorite part of the book was Flynt’s recommendation for changing our state motto. From “We Dare Defend Our Rights” to “Embarrassing but Never Boring.”
I come from a long line of Alabamians, most of whom have called the suburbs of Birmingham their home. Like a lot of us, I grew up equal parts enamored with a love my southern home and frustrated by an inky past that’s got its stains all over our present.
At 18, I left Alabama with a chip on my shoulder that only grew in college. I felt embarrassed by headlines of scandals and regressive policies. Any semblance of an accent I had was lost. After graduation, I moved to New York and brought up my home state only to mock it with others.
The most Alabama thing about me was (what else) pride. The chip of embarrassment, more and more, had to reckon with a well of stubborn pride dug deep in my bones. I started to notice the true disdain others held for my state and these condescending voices had no experience of Alabama themselves.
I know my state has problems, but what do you know? You know your one day in history class? A newspaper article? A comedy routine? My state has problems and it has virtues and doesn’t it deserve to be seen for what it actually is? All the good, all the bad.
This book is thorough and honest through over 200 years of good and bad Alabama existence. It has opinions couched with facts, but that’s any history, isn’t it?
I live in Virginia now, but I’m quarantining with my family in Alabama. I’m so glad I got to read this book here, amongst the pines and pollen that saw me grow up and leave and then return. I finish this book feeling as if I better understand my state, my county, my city and myself.
My favorite part of the book was Flynt’s recommendation for changing our state motto. From “We Dare Defend Our Rights” to “Embarrassing but Never Boring.”
July 21, 2018
"Governor Miller discovered what many politicians before and after him learned the hard way: economic reality oftentimes plays havoc with campaign promises. Miller held office during the worst years of the Great Depression, from 1931 through 1934. The collapse of the state's economy made it impossible to pay state employees and forced the governor to advocate a two-cent tax on gas, creation of a state income tax, and a $20 million program to validate the warrants given to state employees (and, it was hoped, to be redeemed later in cash). He won support for his package with the assistance of a Brookings Institution study on the organization of state government. The report's tax section reached conclusions similar to the 1918 Russell Sage Foundation's report: Alabama assessed property at ridiculously low rates. State tax assessments on farmland were lower than any of eight adjacent states with the result that Alabama's landowning farmers paid less than 20 percent of the state's taxes. The governor, unwilling to challenge Black Belt planters and the powerful Farm Bureau, ignored the recommendation (not an uncommon fate for the tax reform proposals in Alabama history) and proposed gas and income taxes instead.
Although the state house of representatives passed Miller's tax package, the Black Belt-dominated senate rejected it as too extravagant. The governor finally got a version of it through the upper house only to run afoul of his erstwhile supporters. [...]
Business interests that had successfully opposed his tax program now watched in surprise while the state government collapsed. Winston County teachers had gone nearly a year without pay except for worthless teacher warrants. Of 116 Alabama public school systems in May 1932, only 16 had paid their teachers in full for the school year. State education officials estimated that half the schools in Alabama would close for the school year at Christmas 1932. In March 1933 the Alabama Education Association met in Birmingham and refused to open schools unless the government adopted a plan to pay teacher salaries. Other state agencies experienced similar crises.
Without funds to operate state government, Miller summoned a special session of the legislature in January 1933. The house passed a tax package consisting of increased corporation taxes and a graduated income tax of 1 percent for incomes of $4,000 or more. The senate, sobered by the impending closing of public schools, passed the package by a vote of 22-13. [...]
Unfortunately, the taxes raised too little money to solve the state's funding problems, and in January 1934 two hundred schools closed while others remained open only because federal funds kept them operating. The refusal of local governments to levy taxes to educate Alabama children provoked the Hearst newspapers to inquire harshly: 'Why should the people of the United States subsidize 67 county governments in the state of Alabama in order to save the public schools of that state from collapse?'"
Although the state house of representatives passed Miller's tax package, the Black Belt-dominated senate rejected it as too extravagant. The governor finally got a version of it through the upper house only to run afoul of his erstwhile supporters. [...]
Business interests that had successfully opposed his tax program now watched in surprise while the state government collapsed. Winston County teachers had gone nearly a year without pay except for worthless teacher warrants. Of 116 Alabama public school systems in May 1932, only 16 had paid their teachers in full for the school year. State education officials estimated that half the schools in Alabama would close for the school year at Christmas 1932. In March 1933 the Alabama Education Association met in Birmingham and refused to open schools unless the government adopted a plan to pay teacher salaries. Other state agencies experienced similar crises.
Without funds to operate state government, Miller summoned a special session of the legislature in January 1933. The house passed a tax package consisting of increased corporation taxes and a graduated income tax of 1 percent for incomes of $4,000 or more. The senate, sobered by the impending closing of public schools, passed the package by a vote of 22-13. [...]
Unfortunately, the taxes raised too little money to solve the state's funding problems, and in January 1934 two hundred schools closed while others remained open only because federal funds kept them operating. The refusal of local governments to levy taxes to educate Alabama children provoked the Hearst newspapers to inquire harshly: 'Why should the people of the United States subsidize 67 county governments in the state of Alabama in order to save the public schools of that state from collapse?'"
March 24, 2024
Project Read-a-History-of-Every-State-in-Order-of-Statehood #22
July 16, 2010
The best compilation of Alabama history I've seen. Though used as a textbook in college, it isn't a textbook. The writing isn't all scholarly; anyone could sit and read it. I also use this book often as a reference during the school year.
August 24, 2019
I thought the entire book was fantastic, however the writing style of part 3 was so different than that of parts one and two. One of the disadvantages of a book with multiple authors is that it doesn’t flow as smoothly as a book with a single author.
June 2, 2016
Wonderful research! I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Atkins speak right after finishing this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews