Alabama History

Alabama endured warfare, slave trading, squatting, and speculating on its path to becoming America’s 22nd state, and Daniel S. Dupre brings its captivating frontier history to life in Alabama's Frontiers and the Rise of the Old South. Dupre’s vivid narrative begins when Hernando de Soto first led hundreds of armed Europeans into the region during the fall of 1540. Although this early invasion was defeated, Spain, France, and England would each vie for control over the area’s natural resources.

A masterful, concise history of one of the greatest states in America. From the vibrant shorelines of the Gulf Coast to the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Alabama, often known as 'The Yellowhammer State', holds a uniquely colorful place in America's historical tapestry. 'The Yellowhammer State: A History of Alabama' by Daniel Hardy is a compelling journey through this Southern state's rich and intricate past. Hardy brilliantly transports readers to the pivotal moments of Alabama's history, from the early Native American cultures to the era of French and Spanish exploration,...

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera focuses on the stretch of coast from Mobile Bay and Gulf Shores, Alabama, east to Panama City, Florida—an area known as the "Redneck Riviera." Jackson explores the rise of this area as a vacation destination for the lower South's middle- and working-class families following World War II, the building boom of the 1950s and 1960s, and the emergence of the Spring Break "season." While his major focus is on the social, cultural, and economic development, he also documents the impacts of natural disasters and politics of beach access.

"Cryptids of the Deep South: Unveiling Myths, Monsters, and Mysteries of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama" takes you deep into the heart of Southern folklore, where shadowy creatures roam the swamps, mountains, and rivers of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alabama. From the terrifying Rougarou of Cajun legend to the elusive White River Monster and the enigmatic Honey Island Swamp Monster, this book explores the rich tapestry of myths and mysteries that have fascinated generations. Dive into detailed accounts of cryptid sightings, historical folklore, and cultural traditions that reveal the ...

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.

***A novel that can be read as a STAND ALONE. Dive into the heartwarming tale of 'Stepping Forward Into The Past,' where Willie Jr. King and his spirited grandbaby, lil Gert, beckon you to join them on a nostalgic journey to their Alabama roots that's filled with love, laughter, and a heapin' helpin' of Southern charm. After forty years gallivantin' round England, Willie's heartstrings are pullin' him back to Mobile, Alabama, stronger than ever, so he's fixin' ta make the trip across that big ol' pond. He isn't goin' alone, though; his lifelong best mate of over seventy years, Simon Bentley...

The forgotten story of a criminal trial that brought national attention to a young defendant named Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as told by Fred D. Gray, Dr. King’s lawyer and friend, along with New York Times bestselling authors Dan Abrams and David Fisher. The audiobook concludes with an...

In July 1862, Confederate Captain Raphael Semmes took command of a secret new warship. At the helm of the Alabama, he became the most hated and feared man along the Union coast, as well as a Confederate legend. Now, with unparalleled authority, depth, and a vivid sense of the excitement and danger of the time, Stephen Fox describes Captain Semmes's remarkable wartime exploits.

Stories from and about Alabama. The South. And a different generation. The tales ain't meant to irritate, aggravate or otherwise make hostile. Hopefully you can get some amusement and mayhap a little information about a place and time that don't exactly exist no more and ain't likely to return.

Welcome to the journey of a lifetime through the Discovering the Southern Riches eBook! Explore the vibrant and storied history of America's beloved South, from the origins of Southern cuisine to the colorful world of Southern festivals and traditions. This truly comprehensive guide offers a unique perspective on the rich and diverse culture of the Southern United States. With 32 captivating chapters, Discovering the Southern Riches provides a deep dive into the history, traditions, and culture of this unique region. Take a step back in time to Antebellum society and the birth of Southern ...

The 25-Day Vice-President: Alabama's Rufus King documents the life and times of an often overlooked 19th Century statesman. Born to wealth and privilege in North Carolina, a well-educated King became an attorney before Tarheel voters elected him to serve in the State Legislator and later the U.S. Congress. From that point forward, he devoted his life to public service. King eventually migrated to the rapidly growing Alabama Territory and established himself as a leader in the affluent cotton planter aristocracy. He also helped construct a new city, Selma, which King himself named in honor ...

A Tell-All Memoir Exposes a Hidden Life and Hard-learned Lessons Southern. Black. Gay. Fatherless. Air Force Veteran. Ordained Methodist Minister. Master of hiding in plain sight. Cedrick Bridgeforth knows what it means to hold, hide, and wrestle with all of these identities. For years Cedrick had taken great pains to shield his full truth from the world. Then one day, at the height of his career, his entire universe came crashing down. Equal parts preacher, poet, confessor, and consummate storyteller, Alabama Grandson chronicles Cedrick’s hard-fought journey to come to terms with the ...

The Alabama Communist Party was made up of working people without a Euro-American radical political tradition: devoutly religious and semiliterate Black laborers and sharecroppers, and a handful of Whites, including unemployed industrial workers, housewives, youth, and renegade liberals. In this book, Robin D. G. Kelley reveals how the experiences and identities of these people from Alabama's farms, factories, mines, kitchens, and city streets shaped the Party's tactics and unique political culture.

A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist reveals the little-known story of the Union soldiers from Alabama who played a decisive role in the Civil War, and how they were scrubbed from the history books. “It is my sincere hope that this compelling and submerged history is integrated into our...

In the summer of 1860, more than 50 years after the United States legally abolished the international slave trade, 110 men, women, and children from Benin and Nigeria were brought ashore in Alabama under cover of night. They were the last recorded group of Africans deported to the United States as slaves. This book reconstructs the lives of the people in West Africa, recounts their capture and passage in the slave pen in Ouidah, and describes their experience of slavery alongside American-born enslaved men and women.

"The Year of Birmingham", 1963, was a cataclysmic turning point in America's long civil rights struggle. Child demonstrators faced down police dogs and fire hoses in huge nonviolent marches against segregation. Ku Klux Klansmen retaliated by bombing the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing four young Black girls. Diane McWhorter, daughter of a prominent Birmingham family, weaves together police and FBI records, archival documents, interviews with Black activists and Klansmen, and personal memories into an extraordinary narrative....

In this heartfelt tale about enduring hope amid the suffering of the Great Depression, Sean Dietrich—also known as Sean of the South—weaves together a tale featuring a cast of characters ranging from a child preacher, a teenage healer, and two migrant workers who give everything they have...

In Bloody Tuesday, John Giggie powerfully recovers one of the last great untold stories of the civil rights movement and its role in the reckoning with America's ongoing struggle for racial justice.

Look for The Land of Sweet Forever, a posthumous collection of newly discovered short stories and previously published essays and magazine pieces by Harper Lee, coming October 21, 2025. Voted America's Best-Loved Novel in PBS's The Great American Read Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning...

Seldom does a book have the impact of Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. Since it was first published in 2010, it has been cited in judicial decisions and has been adopted in campus-wide and community-wide reads; it helped inspire the creation of the Marshall Project and the new $100 million Art for Justice Fund; it has been the winner of numerous prizes, including the prestigious NAACP Image Award; and it has spent nearly 250 weeks on the New York Times best seller list.