Montgomery, Alabama
A charming capital city that
mixes the old with the new,
Montgomery was the scene of
some of the most dramatic
moments in American history.
A charming capital city that
mixes the old with the new,
Montgomery was the scene of
some of the most dramatic
moments in American history.
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Historic Sites of Montgomery, Alabama
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Historic Sites of Montgomery, Alabama
| State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama One of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the South, the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery has witnessed the passage of American history. |
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Antebellum History
Montgomery is dotted with
antebellum homes and
structures, including this one
on downtown's Court Square.
Montgomery is dotted with
antebellum homes and
structures, including this one
on downtown's Court Square.
First White House of
the Confederacy
This charming frame home
was the First White House of
the Confederacy, serving as
the home of Jefferson Davis.
the Confederacy
This charming frame home
was the First White House of
the Confederacy, serving as
the home of Jefferson Davis.
Dexter Avenue King
Memorial Baptist Church
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
ministered here during the
formative days of the Civil
Rights movement.
Memorial Baptist Church
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
ministered here during the
formative days of the Civil
Rights movement.
Montgomery, Alabama - Historic Sites and Points of Interest
Civil War, Civil Rights & More...
There are few cities that have affected the
flow of American history as much as the
charming state capital city of Montgomery,
Alabama.
To stand on the front portico of the state
capitol building and look down Dexter Avenue
is an awe inspiring experience. Men and
women who dramatically impacted the
course of our nation did so within view of the
capitol steps.
It was here that Jefferson Davis took the oath
of office as President of the Confederate
States of America. The capitol building in
Montgomery was the first capitol of the
Confederacy and the orders to open fire on
Fort Sumter and inaugurate the Civil War
were sent by telegraph from a building just
down the hill.
Were the view not blocked by buildings, you
would also be able to see the bus stop
where Rosa Parks refused to give up her
seat in 1955, sparking a movement that
shook the nation. The Montgomery Bus
Boycott was organized within sight of the
capitol at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial
Baptist Church, then served by a young
minister named Martin Luther King, Jr.
The beautiful Rosa Parks Library and
Museum on the campus of Troy University -
Montgomery interprets this important time in
American history.
In 1965, one of the most powerful marches of
the Civil Rights movement came up Dexter
Avenue to the capitol. The marchers had
come from Selma, joined by others along the
way, to demand their right to vote from
Governor George C. Wallace, then known for
his "segregation today, segregation
tomorrow, segregation forever!" declaration.
The march on Montgomery is now
commemorated by the Selma to Montgomery
National Historic Trail, a national park area.
The trail incorporates U.S. Highway 80 from
Selma to Montgomery and introduces visitors
to the significance of the march and its
impact on American culture.
While they represent the major phases of its
history, there is much more to Montgomery
besides Civil War and Civil Rights. At Old
Alabama Town, for example, visitors can
explore a variety of historic structures dating
from the earliest days of the state. Among
them are churches, shops and even a tavern
that was in use before Montgomery was
founded.
Prior to 1814, the present site of the city was
in the center of the Creek Nation. A large
Indian mound and other traces of an
important prehistoric center can still be seen
today at Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson park
north of town. Most scholars agree that
Hernando de Soto passed through the area
in 1540, encountering the ancestors of the
Creeks. Other European explorers followed,
but it was the French who established the
first permanent settlement - Fort Toulouse -
in 1717. They remained until 1763.
The Creeks, led by the charismatic Alexander
McGillivray, became one of the most powerful
Native American nations on the continent
during the years after the American
Revolution. McGillivray declared war on the
fledgling United States and the Creeks
fought so well that President Georgia
Washington was forced to invite them to the
bargaining table in 1790. The Treaty of New
York gave the Creeks standing comparable
to the nations of Europe.
McGillivray's death, however, left a vacuum of
power and the Creek War of 1813-1814
ignited among the Creeks. Led by the
Prophet Josiah Francis, who established his
headquarters at the Holy Ground between
Montgomery and Selma, the Red Stick faction
(so named because they displayed red war
clubs in the towns) was on the verge of
overwhelming the traditional leaders of the
nation when the conflict suddenly spread to
involve the United States.
flow of American history as much as the
charming state capital city of Montgomery,
Alabama.
To stand on the front portico of the state
capitol building and look down Dexter Avenue
is an awe inspiring experience. Men and
women who dramatically impacted the
course of our nation did so within view of the
capitol steps.
It was here that Jefferson Davis took the oath
of office as President of the Confederate
States of America. The capitol building in
Montgomery was the first capitol of the
Confederacy and the orders to open fire on
Fort Sumter and inaugurate the Civil War
were sent by telegraph from a building just
down the hill.
Were the view not blocked by buildings, you
would also be able to see the bus stop
where Rosa Parks refused to give up her
seat in 1955, sparking a movement that
shook the nation. The Montgomery Bus
Boycott was organized within sight of the
capitol at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial
Baptist Church, then served by a young
minister named Martin Luther King, Jr.
The beautiful Rosa Parks Library and
Museum on the campus of Troy University -
Montgomery interprets this important time in
American history.
In 1965, one of the most powerful marches of
the Civil Rights movement came up Dexter
Avenue to the capitol. The marchers had
come from Selma, joined by others along the
way, to demand their right to vote from
Governor George C. Wallace, then known for
his "segregation today, segregation
tomorrow, segregation forever!" declaration.
The march on Montgomery is now
commemorated by the Selma to Montgomery
National Historic Trail, a national park area.
The trail incorporates U.S. Highway 80 from
Selma to Montgomery and introduces visitors
to the significance of the march and its
impact on American culture.
While they represent the major phases of its
history, there is much more to Montgomery
besides Civil War and Civil Rights. At Old
Alabama Town, for example, visitors can
explore a variety of historic structures dating
from the earliest days of the state. Among
them are churches, shops and even a tavern
that was in use before Montgomery was
founded.
Prior to 1814, the present site of the city was
in the center of the Creek Nation. A large
Indian mound and other traces of an
important prehistoric center can still be seen
today at Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson park
north of town. Most scholars agree that
Hernando de Soto passed through the area
in 1540, encountering the ancestors of the
Creeks. Other European explorers followed,
but it was the French who established the
first permanent settlement - Fort Toulouse -
in 1717. They remained until 1763.
The Creeks, led by the charismatic Alexander
McGillivray, became one of the most powerful
Native American nations on the continent
during the years after the American
Revolution. McGillivray declared war on the
fledgling United States and the Creeks
fought so well that President Georgia
Washington was forced to invite them to the
bargaining table in 1790. The Treaty of New
York gave the Creeks standing comparable
to the nations of Europe.
McGillivray's death, however, left a vacuum of
power and the Creek War of 1813-1814
ignited among the Creeks. Led by the
Prophet Josiah Francis, who established his
headquarters at the Holy Ground between
Montgomery and Selma, the Red Stick faction
(so named because they displayed red war
clubs in the towns) was on the verge of
overwhelming the traditional leaders of the
nation when the conflict suddenly spread to
involve the United States.
American armies converged on the forks of
the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, destroying
forever the power of the Creek Nation. After
the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, General
Andrew Jackson built Fort Jackson at the site
of old Fort Toulouse and forced the Creeks to
sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. The treaty
surrendered hundreds of thousands of acres
of land in Alabama and Georgia, clearing the
way for the settlement of many communities,
including today's city of Montgomery.
The first settlers were well established by
1818 and Montgomery was incorporated the
following year. The state capitol was moved
from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery in 1846.
The rest is history. Montgomery served as the
capital of the Confederacy from February until
May of 1861 and continued to play a key role
in the Civil War until the very end.
Rebounding after the war, Montgomery
prospered and in 1886 became the first city
in the Western Hemisphere to install an all
electric mass transit system, the "Lightning
Line."
By 1955, Montgomery had emerged as a
focal point of the Civil Rights movement, a
distinction that is remembered today by
numerous related points of interest,
including the Civil Rights Memorial at the
Southern Poverty Law Center and the Rosa
Parks Library and Museum on the campus of
Troy University - Montgomery.
A dramatic downtown revitalization effort has
brought the city center of Montgomery roaring
back to life and is one of the most visually
successful such efforts in the country.
To learn more about the historic sites and
points of interest in and around Montgomery,
Alabama, please follow the links below.
the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, destroying
forever the power of the Creek Nation. After
the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, General
Andrew Jackson built Fort Jackson at the site
of old Fort Toulouse and forced the Creeks to
sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. The treaty
surrendered hundreds of thousands of acres
of land in Alabama and Georgia, clearing the
way for the settlement of many communities,
including today's city of Montgomery.
The first settlers were well established by
1818 and Montgomery was incorporated the
following year. The state capitol was moved
from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery in 1846.
The rest is history. Montgomery served as the
capital of the Confederacy from February until
May of 1861 and continued to play a key role
in the Civil War until the very end.
Rebounding after the war, Montgomery
prospered and in 1886 became the first city
in the Western Hemisphere to install an all
electric mass transit system, the "Lightning
Line."
By 1955, Montgomery had emerged as a
focal point of the Civil Rights movement, a
distinction that is remembered today by
numerous related points of interest,
including the Civil Rights Memorial at the
Southern Poverty Law Center and the Rosa
Parks Library and Museum on the campus of
Troy University - Montgomery.
A dramatic downtown revitalization effort has
brought the city center of Montgomery roaring
back to life and is one of the most visually
successful such efforts in the country.
To learn more about the historic sites and
points of interest in and around Montgomery,
Alabama, please follow the links below.
Alabama State Capitol
Civil Rights Memorial
Court Square & Dexter Avenue
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist
Church
First Capitol of the Confederacy
First White House of the Confederacy
Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson
Hank Williams Grave
Old Alabama Town
Powder Magazine Park
Selma to Montgomery National Historic
Trail
Wilson's Raid of 1865
Historic Sites of Alabama
Explore other Southern Historic Sites
Civil Rights Memorial
Court Square & Dexter Avenue
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist
Church
First Capitol of the Confederacy
First White House of the Confederacy
Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson
Hank Williams Grave
Old Alabama Town
Powder Magazine Park
Selma to Montgomery National Historic
Trail
Wilson's Raid of 1865
Historic Sites of Alabama
Explore other Southern Historic Sites
Legacy of Hank Williams
The Hank Williams Museum,
seen here, is one of many
sites associated with the
country music legend. He is
buried in Montgomery.
The Hank Williams Museum,
seen here, is one of many
sites associated with the
country music legend. He is
buried in Montgomery.
Custom Search
Points of Interest in Alabama
Cheaha State Park
DeSoto Falls
DeSoto State Park
Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson Historic Site
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Little River Falls
Noccalula Falls
Old Cahawba Ghost Town
Waterfalls of Alabama
Cheaha State Park
DeSoto Falls
DeSoto State Park
Fort Toulouse - Fort Jackson Historic Site
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Little River Falls
Noccalula Falls
Old Cahawba Ghost Town
Waterfalls of Alabama
| Copyright 2011 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |