User:Leeannedy/Sandbox

Examples

• Minnesota - Excellent in almost every respect.
• North Carolina - Probably the second best of the state articles (currently a good article).
• Rhode Island - Good article. As with many state articles, serious deterioration of quality in last 30 percent of article (state firsts, etc.).
• Illinois - Respectable article (among the best ten of the state articles).
• Wisconsin - Respectable article (among the best ten of the state articles).

My proposed vision for the article is below. I believe that we can make this article one of the best state articles on Wikipedia.

Introduction

• Remove "Heart of Dixie" from first line and place with state nicknames in later paragraph.
• Basic summary of main article sections. Ideally created near the time that the rework is "complete."

Name

• See example from articles on Rhode Island and Minnesota.

Geography

• Improvement of sub-article on Geography of Alabama.
• Decide on best formatting for List of counties in Alabama. Personal preference is that used for List of counties in North Carolina and List of counties in Rhode Island.
• Cleanup of List of cities in Alabama article.
• Decide on best maps for which purpose. All of the maps have positive points but the current arrangement is cluttered and distracts from the article.
• Opening paragraph on location within United States.
• Subsection on geographical regions. Paragraphs on each of the geographical physical regions of the state.
• Subsection on waterways (river systems/lakes/coastal features).
• Subsection on climate.
• Subsection on flora/fauna.
• Subsection on counties (brief with link to list of counties).
• Subsection on urban regions (major cities and metropolitan areas).
• Subsection on parks. Paragraph on National Park Service locations. Paragraph on state park system.
• Sub-article on state park system (see article for List of Pennsylvania state parks).

History

• Improvement of sub-article on History of Alabama.
• Paragraph on Alabama pre-history.
• Paragraph on Native American history.
• Paragraph on colonial history.
• Paragraph on statehood up until Civil War.
• Paragraph on secession and Civil War.
• Paragraph on reconstruction era.
• Paragraph on World War I.
• Paragraph on depression era.
• Paragraph on World War II.
• Paragraph on post World War II history.

Demographics

• Improve subarticle on Demographics of Alabama.
• Use population density map in this section.
• Use article on Minnesota as example for this section.
• Subsection on population.
• Subsection on race and ancestry (including languages).
• Subsection on religion.

Economy

• Subsection on commerce (including tourism).
• Subsection on industry.
• Subsection on agriculture.
• Subsection on utilities.
• Subsection on natural resources.
• Subsection on public sector (government spending such as NASA, taxation).

Culture

• Subsection on popular culture (festivals, foods, state traditions, etc.)
• Subsection on fine and performing arts.
• Subsection on literature.
• Subsection on other entertainment (music, movies, television, theater).

Health and Education

• Subsection on health.
• Subsection on education.
• Cleanup of various education lists (colleges and universities, school systems, high schools, etc.)

Transportation

• Paragraph on road transportation (interstate system, etc.).
• Paragraph on water transportation (river and ocean transportation).
• Paragraph on air transportation.
• Paragraph on rail transportation.

Law and Government

• Subsection on Alabama constitution.
• Subsection on executive branch. Sub-article lists of governors and lieutenant governors.
• Subsection on legislative branch. Subarticles on houses of Alabama legislature.
• Subsection on judicial branch.
• Subsection on regional governments (county government, city government, tribal governments).
• Subsection on federal representation (representatives and senators).
• Subsection on military.

Politics

• Paragraph(s) on political parties in the state.
• Paragraph(s) on political history of the state.
• Subarticle on Alabama politics. Use politics of Minnesota as an example.

Media

• Paragraph on newpapers in the state.
• Paragraph on television in the state.
• Paragraph on radio stations in the state.
• Paragraph on Internet in the state.

Sports

• Subarticle on sports in Alabama. Again see Minnesota for ideas.
• Subsection on professional sports in Alabama.
• Subsection on college sports in Alabama.
• Subsection on outdoor recreation in Alabama.

State Symbols

• Separate section with listing of state symbols.

Notable Alabamans

• Separate section with VERY notable Alabamans (for example, George Wallace).
• Disdvantage of this section is that it will be a headache to maintain (will require constant weeding).

Draft of Etymology of state name

The Alabama, an Upper Creek tribe which resided just below the junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers on the upper reaches of the Alabama River (2), served as the etymological source of the names of the river and state. The word Alabama is believed to have originated from the Choctaw language (1) and was later accepted by the Alabama as their name (8). The spelling of the word varies significantly between sources (8). The first usage appears in three accounts of the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1540 with Garcilasso de la Vega using Alibamo while the Knight of Elvas and Rodrigo Ranjel wrote Alibamu and Limamu, respectively (8). As early as 1702, the tribe was known to the French as Alibamon with French maps identifying the river as Rivière des Alibamons. (2) Other spellings of the appellation have included Alibamu, Alabamo, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alabamu, and Allibamou. (8,5,6) The use of state names derived from Indian languages is common with an estimated 27 states having names of Indian origin. (7)

Although the origin of Alabama was evident, the meaning of the tribe's name was not always clear. An article without a byline appearing in the Jacksonville Republican on July 27, 1842 originated the idea that meaning was "Here We Rest." (8) This notion was popularized in the 1850s through the writings of Alexander Beaufort Meek. (8) Experts in the Muskogean languages have been unable to find any evidence that would support this translation. (2,8) It is now generally accepted that the word comes from the Choctaw words alba (meaning "plants" or "weeds") and amo (meaning "to cut", "to trim", or "to gather"). (8,1,4) This results in translations such as "clearers of the thicket" (1) or even "herb gatherers" (4,3) which may refer to clearing of land for the purpose of planting crops (5) or to collection of medicinal plants by medicine men (3).

Demographics of Alabama

The United States Census Bureau estimates that Alabama's population was 4,599,030 in 2006 making it the twenty-third most populous state in the United States. According to the decennial federal census, the population of the state on April 1, 2000 was 4,447,100. Based on the census, racial distribution was 71.1 percent white and 26.0 percent black with 1.7 percent of the population of Hispanic heritage. The reported median age was 35.8 years.

Historical population dynamics

Indian removal and Alabama fever

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	1,250		—
1810	9,046		623.7%
1820	127,901		1,313.9%
1830	309,527		142.0%
1840	590,756		90.9%
1850	771,623		30.6%
1860	964,201		25.0%
1870	996,992		3.4%
1880	1,262,505		26.6%
1890	1,513,401		19.9%
1900	1,828,697		20.8%
1910	2,138,093		16.9%
1920	2,348,174		9.8%
1930	2,646,248		12.7%
1940	2,832,961		7.1%
1950	3,061,743		8.1%
1960	3,266,740		6.7%
1970	3,444,354		5.4%
1980	3,894,025		13.1%
1990	4,040,389		3.8%
2000	4,447,100		10.1%
2006 (est.)	4,599,030

Prior to the nineteenth century, the residents of present-day Alabama were primarily American Indians with a limited number of European settlers. The area of Alabama north of the 31^st parallel belonged to the original territory of the United States. The northern portion of the territory (approximately two-thirds of the area) was a part of Georgia until 1802. The southern portion (approximately one-third of the area) remained unorganized until 1798 when it was included in the newly created Mississippi Territory. Although the territory had not been legally established, census data for Alabama begins in 1800. (Cens2000) In August 1800, the combined population of whites and blacks in the present-day state north of the 31^st parallel in former Mississippi Territory was only 1,250. (Androit) Although the United States claimed the territory south of the 31^st parallel as a part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the territory was not formally acquired from the Spanish until 1812. Therefore, the 1810 census population of 9,046 includes the land formerly belonging to Georgia but not the land south of the 31^st parallel. (Cens2000) By 1813, non-Indian settlers numbered approximately 12,000. (Wills)

The Creek War began in 1813 and ended with the decisive defeat of the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. Andrew Jackson forced the Creeks to sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson and to cede 23 million acres (93,000 km²). The population of the Creek people was 20,653 (New American State Papers) and 22,694 (Brannon) in 1825 and 1833, respectively.

The newly available land from Indian cessions and high cotton prices inspired dreams of wealth and prosperity in Alabama. (Deep South) These aspirations along with frustation with unproductive farmland and poor economic conditions in the East lead to a large influx of residents into Alabama. (Deep South) The biggest rush of newcomers came in the years following the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814. (Documentary) By 1817, James Graham described the phenomenon and its effect on North Carolina:

The Alabama Feaver (sic) rages here with great violence and has carried off vast numbers of our Citizens... There is no question that this feaver (sic) is contagious...for as soon as one neighbor visits another who has just returned from Alabama he immediately discovers the same symptoms which are exhibited by the one who has seen alluring Alabama. (Ruffin)

John McKinley defended the exodus from the East by stating:

It is better to be a tenant on rich land than a landlord on poor; it is better to be a free man in the West than a slave to a manufacturer in the East. (Congress Register of Debates)

Due to migration along the Federal Road, the non-Indian population of present-day Alabama increased by more than 1,300 percent between 1810 and 1820. This rate of increase was much greater than that of Mississippi or Louisiana. (Androit, Fed Road) Most of the growth in the decade occurred after 1815. (Deep South) Alabama was recognized as a territory by the United States Congress in March 1817. By the time of second assembly of the territorial legislature in 1818, the territory exceed the required population of 60,000 for admission to the United States. (Deep South, Documentary) An incomplete census in 1818 showed a population of 67,594. (Documentary) Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. In 1820, the first state census counted 127,901 residents. (2000 Census, Documentary)

In June 1830, the state census placed the population at 309,527 resulting in a increase of 142 percent from 1820. (Deep South) This percentage increase was far greater than any other southwestern state. (Deep South) By the start of the 1830s, whites outnumbered the Creek population in the state by at least 250,000. (Federal Road) For the period of 1820 to 1850, the population of Alabama exceeded that of Mississippi. (Androit) For the period of 1830 to 1850, the Alabama's population exceeded that of Louisiana. (Androit) In addition to competing with the other southwestern states for migrants, the movement to Alabama was large enough that established Eastern states felt threatened by potential population decreases. (Deep South)

Growth through cotton and slavery

Year	Enslaved blacks	Free blacks
1820	41,879	~500
1830	117,579	1,572
1840	253,532	2,039
1850	342,844	2,265
1860	435,080	2,690

During the middle of the 1800s, the cotton production of Alabama boomed. In 1821, 20 million pounds of cotton were produced in the state. (Bruchey) By 1859, production of the crop had increase to 440.5 million pounds. (Bruchey) Without the importation of slaves, this rapid expansion of the cotton trade would not have been possible. (Documentary) In a letter to P.W. Kitrell, Albert J. Pickett described his observations regarding the slave population of Alabama. (Sellers) Although five states had larger slave populations than Alabama in 1830, only three states exceeded Alabama's total in 1840. (Sellers) For the decade, the increase of Alabama's slave population surpassed that of any other state in absolute terms and trailed only Mississippi in percentage increase. (Sellers) In addition, Pickett tabulated the enslaved and free populations of blacks in the state (see table). Between 1830 and 1860, the slave population increased by 270 percent while the white population only increased by 171 percent. (Deep South)