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Alabama Territory

Coordinates: 32°39′N 86°48′W / 32.650°N 86.800°W / 32.650; -86.800
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Territory of Alabama
Organized incorporated territory of United States
1817–1819
Flag of Alabama Territory
Flag

CapitalSt. Stephens
Government
 • TypeOrganized incorporated territory
Governor 
• 1817–1819
William Wyatt Bibb
History 
• Established
December 10, 1817[1] 1817
• Statehood
December 14, 1819[1] 1819
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Mississippi Territory
Alabama

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[2] and lasted until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to the Union as the twenty-second state.

History

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The Alabama Territory[n] was designated by two interdependent Acts of the Congress of the United States on March 1 and 3, 1817,[3][4] but it did not become effective until October 10, 1817.[1][5][6] The delay was due to a provision in the Congressional Act 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 adopted on August 15, 1817, elections were held in September, and the first legislative session convened in October,[1] with the western part of the Mississippi Territory existing since 1798 becoming the State of Mississippi on December 10, 1817.[7]

1817 map of the new U.S. state of Mississippi, and Alabama Territory

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) of Georgia was the only territorial governor, later elected to that position after statehood.

On December 14, 1819, Alabama was admitted to the union as the 22nd U.S. state,[5][8] with Bibb becoming the first state governor (1819–1820).

Territorial evolution of Alabama

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  • Organized as the old Southwest Territory or Territory of the Southwest [also 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. state created from the Alabama Territory, 1817–1819:
    • State of Alabama, December 14, 1819 to present

See also

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Notes

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  [n] - Name "Territory of Alabama" was often used in the time period, rather than "Alabama Territory".

References

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32°39′N 86°48′W / 32.650°N 86.800°W / 32.650; -86.800