The Territory of Alabama (sometimes Alabama Territory) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States. The Alabama Territory was carved from the Mississippi Territory on August 15, 1817 and lasted until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to the Union as the twenty-second state.

History

The Alabama Territory /sup> was designated by two interdependent Acts of the

Congress of the United States The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

, passed by both chambers, the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and the

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on March 1 and 3, 1817, but it did not become effective until October 10, 1817."Timeline 1811-1820" (events +sources); Algis Ratnikas; "Timelines of History"; 2007; webpage
TimeLine Miss
"Statehood Dates"; 50states.com; 1998/2009; webpage

/ref> The delay was due to a provision in the Congressional Organic Act passed in Washington, which stated that the act would only take effect if and when the western part of the Mississippi Territory (1798–1817) were to form a state constitution and government on the road to statehood. A state constitution for Mississippi was drawn up and adopted by Mississippian delegates on August 15, 1817, elections were held the next month in September, and the first legislative session convened in October, with the western part of the Mississippi Territory existing since 1798 becoming the

State of Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

on December 10, 1817. 1817 Map of Mississippi and Alabama

St. Stephens, located in the central area of the Alabama Territory on the Tombigbee River, was the only territorial capital during the period. William Wyatt Bibb (1781–1820), formerly of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

was the only territorial governor, later elected to that position after achieving statehood. On December 14, 1819,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

was admitted to the federal Union as the 22nd

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

,"Resolution declaring the admission of the state of Alabama into the Union"
/ref> with appointed territorial governor William W. Bibb (1781-1820), formerly of &Georgia, becoming the elected first state governor (1819–1820).

Territorial evolution of Alabama

*Territories of the

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and its worldwide

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

that would later become part of the future territories of Alabama: ** La Florida (Spanish Florida), 1565–1763 ** Florida Occidental (West Florida), 1783–1821 *** Mobile District *Possession of the

Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain, also known as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in Western Europe from 1707 to the end of 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, which united the Kingd ...

since 1763, in the

Treaty of Paris (1763) The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Kingdom of France, France and Spanish Empire, Spain, with Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal in agree ...

ending the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

(1756–1763), (known as the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

in Europe), until 1783, with the

Treaty of Paris (1783) The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and representatives of the United States on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolutionary War and recognized ...

that the lands would later be ceded to become part of the newly independent

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

after 1776, *Organized as the old Southwest Territory or Territory of the Southwest lso then occasionally known as the "Territory South of the Ohio River"(1790–1796), then later *Reorganized and renamed as the Mississippi Territory (1798–1817), then the *Territory of Alabama was carved out of the eastern half in 1817 until 1819: * West Florida, 1763–1783 (briefly possessed by Britain, acquired from Spain. * U.S. states that ceded territorial claims that would later become part of the future State of Alabama: ** State of South Carolina, 1787 **

State of Georgia Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It borders Tennessee and North Carolina to the north, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 U.S. states, Georgia i ...

, 1802 (sold the disputed Yazoo lands to the U.S. Federal government) * U.S. territory with land that would later become part of the Territory of Alabama: ** Mississippi Territory, 1798–1817 *U.S. state created from the Alabama Territory, 1817–1819: **State of Alabama, December 14, 1819 to present

Notes

/small> - Name "Territory of Alabama" was often used in the time period, rather than "Alabama Territory".

References

* Williams, Lewis et al.
"An 1820 Claim to Congress: Alabama Territory : 1817."
Op. cit.: Gales & Seaton; ''American State Papers''; Washington: 1834; retrieved 21 February 2010.

External links

Journal of the Convention of the Alabama territory, begun July 5, 1819
(a 1909 reprint) {{DEFAULTSORT:Alabama Territory Mississippi Territory Pre-statehood history of Alabama 1817 establishments in Alabama Territory 1819 disestablishments in the United States

History

Territorial evolution of Alabama

See also

Notes

References

External links