Happy birthday Alabama! Get ready for the state bicentennial

Happy 198th birthday Alabama!

On this day, December 14, 1819, 198 years ago, Alabama was admitted into the Union.

Below is a document from the Harvard Map Collection of John Melish’s 1820 map of the state which shows the official borders from surveys and other documents.

Alabama was admitted as the 22nd state with Congress selecting Huntsville as the site for the first Constitutional Convention. From July 5 to August 2, 1819, delegates met to prepare the new state constitution. Huntsville served as temporary capital from 1819 to 1820. Cahaba , Alabama, which is now a ghost town was the first permanent state capital from 1820 to 1825.

Bicentennial 2 years away

Events and planning have already begun as we prepare for the Alabama’s Bicentennial celebration. Remember, Alabama was a territory in 1817, so we are celebrating both the establishment of the Alabama territory and statehood. The “go to” website for everything Alabama Bicentennial is http://www.alabama200.org .

Next big Alabama 200 event in Birmingham

Next month, Birmingham will be holding  a Bicentennial celebration with a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concert on Sunday, January 14, 2018. The concert will feature the Blind Boys of Alabama with Conductor Dr. Henry Panion, III & Orchestra, plus the combined choirs of Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Birmingham Southern College, Miles College, Talladega College, Tuskegee University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The concert will take place at 5:00 PM in the Jemison Concert Hall of the Alys Stephens Center on the campus of UAB.

Tickets are on sale now for $44, $34 and $24 and can be purchased online at alysstephens.org or by calling The Alys Stephens Center Box Office at (205) 975-2787.

Check out the entire Alabama 200 calendar of events at http://www.alabama200.org/participate/events/ 

Learn how to get involved.

Happy Birthday Alabama !!!