Chapter Overviews

Chapter/Alabama : Alabama Special Report

Chapter Overviews

Alabama Special Report: Modern Alabama, 1877 to the Present

This chapter looks at how life changed in the state of Alabama from the end of the Reconstruction to the 21st century and how the challenges and opportunities those changes created affected its people.

Section 1 examines the effects of industrialization in Alabama. After the Civil War, cotton remained in high demand, and since many emancipated African Americans had few skills, they returned to work on cotton plantations. Often they became sharecroppers with no more freedom than they had had as enslaved people. The expansion of coal and iron production in the northern part of the state brought diversity to the economy, but industrialization also brought new problems, such as unsafe working conditions for miners. Alabama's agricultural sector faced problems of its own. When farm productivity grew due to improvements in farm machinery and increases in the amount of land farmed, the prices of crops went down drastically and lowered the income of farmers. Desperate to survive, many Alabama farmers joined organizations whose goal was to support farmers, but none of these organizations lasted for a long period of time. The farmers even formed a local Populist Party to challenge the Democrats' control of state politics, but despite several attempts by Populist candidates to run for the governor, they were never successful.

Section 2 discusses the changes the early 20th century brought to the people of Alabama. After the political threat of the1890s, the Democratic Party of Alabama decided to make sure that the political power stayed in their hands by calling for a new state constitution. The new constitution would deny most African Americans the right to vote. The Democrats assured their win and the ratification of the constitution of 1901 by intimidating African American voters and falsifying their ballots. During the years following the new constitution, progressivism made only limited gains in Alabama. The greatest success of the progressives was prohibition in 1909. When United States entered World War I, Alabamians rallied to do their part by sending troops overseas and contributing to the war effort on the home front. The 1920s postwar era brought rapid growth, increasing opportunity, and long-delayed reform to Alabama. Two of Alabama's governors initiated vast improvements in state services. During this decade Alabama's economy diversified and its cities grew. Several Alabamian artists, writers, and musicians challenged traditional values and made significant contributions to the Jazz Age. One of the drawbacks of the era was the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan who was not only after African Americans but also southern and eastern European immigrants. Many African Americans tried to escape the harsh economic conditions and discrimination by moving to cities in the North.

Section 3 studies the life in Alabama during the Great Depression and World War II. The Depression hit rural Alabama especially hard due to the fall in cotton prices. Employment in Alabama's cities fell by 15 percent. Some tried to find a solution by joining the newly established Communist Party, but the introduction of the New Deal programs ended the party's ambitions. President Roosevelt's New Deal programs concentrated on advancing living conditions, improving the quality of life of farmers, hiring unemployed for construction projects, and providing jobs for the Youth. The programs had mixed success, and while most Alabamians welcomed the government help, some, mainly industrialists, criticized the heavy involvement of the federal government. Many of the key people behind the New Deal were Democrats, and as a result, the support for the Democratic Party grew. With World War II, many war-related manufacturing companies located in Alabama, and the state's military bases and airfields boosted Alabama's economy. When more and more men were called up for military service, industry and agriculture began to experience labor shortages. This forced farmers to mechanize their operations, and factories started employing women and African Americans. Alabamians fighting in the armed forces made important contributions to the war's outcome. When the soldiers returned to Alabama after the war, they found that the state had undergone significant changes.

Section 4 focuses on Alabama's important role in the civil rights movement. In the postwar Alabama some whites still hoped to maintain segregation and restrict African American voting. Nonetheless, African Americans in Alabama began to demand desegregation in schools and buses. One of the first changes was the integration of Montgomery buses, which took place after almost a yearlong bus boycott. In order to encourage African Americans to vote, Congress, with the support of President Eisenhower, passed the first civil rights act since the Civil War. At this time many leaders of the civil rights act emerged in Alabama including Martin Luther King, Jr., who was one of the leaders in demonstrations against segregation in Birmingham. After first African Americans began classes at the University of Alabama, public schools throughout the state started integrating. This didn't happen without incidents, though, the worst of which was the bombing of a church in Birmingham. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited segregation and gave the federal government new powers to fight discrimination. From now on civil rights leaders focused on making sure African Americans obtained the right to vote. The breakthrough finally came when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 became law. At the same time as African Americans were fighting for their civil rights, Alabama contributed to the Vietnam War by training personnel in its military bases. Alabama also secured its position as the center for space exploration technology with the completion of the Marshall Center in Huntsville.

Section 5 examines the economic, social, and political changes Alabama has undergone during recent years. The population of Alabama has grown significantly since the 1960s. The economy suffered in the 1980s due to a nationwide economic slump and local problems. However, diversification and the influence of space technology during the 1990s have since improved the economy. Alabama's major cities continue to meet the challenges of a modern, technologically advanced society, while offering unique and varied opportunities to their residents and workforce. The hard work of civil rights workers paid off, and race relations improved in many Alabama cities during the 1980s. Alabama's governors during the 1980s and 1990s further enhanced race relations as well as focused on improving education, industry, and tourism. The last two decades have also seen an increased number of women in state and local political offices and in other important roles in the workforce. Like other states throughout the nation, Alabama's environmental management and monitoring agencies continue to work on environmental issues. When the United States launched the war on terrorism, many Alabamians joined troops from the rest of the United States to serve their country. Alabamians have seen many political, social, and economic changes in the last few decades, but the work is not over. The major challenges that remain are reducing poverty and improving the quality of education.