Alabama is a Southern State bordered by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. The state suffered tremendous economic hardship for nearly 80 years after the Civil War, during which it fought as a confederate state. It has earned itself two nicknames: Yellowhammer and Heart of Dixie.
On this day December 14th, in 1819, Alabama is accepted as the 19th state into the United States. The Alibamu people are the natives of the area, and the state was named for them. The Alibamu first faced Europeans when Hernando De Soto came in 1540.
Alabama’s capital is Montgomery, but its largest city is Birmingham. Birmingham accounts for a quarter of Alabama’s population with slightly over 1 million. Alabama is also known as the Black Belt for its incredibly dark fertile earth, which grew cotton for many years and still remains one of the top producers of cotton in the states. Nowadays, agriculture plays a more central role.