December 14, 2024, marked the 205th birthday of the state of Alabama. Happy Birthday to the Yellowhammer state!
In 1819, Alabama was welcomed by President James Madison as the 22nd state of the union. Gov. Kay “Meemaw” Ivey signed Saturday’s proclamation claiming the day as “Alabama Day.”
🎉: Happy Birthday, Alabama!
To celebrate our state’s 205th birthday, I have proclaimed today as Alabama Day.
Truly, Alabama is a place like no other, and our best days are still ahead! #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/d9WGNjVi3A
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) December 14, 2024
Alabama was made a territory in 1817, separating it from the old Mississippi Territory. Congress passed an act in 1819 to allow those living in the Alabama Territory to create a state constitution.
And it’s a great state constitution with sections that further affirm that Alabama does not violate the First and Second Amendments and where possible, ensures they are not encroached upon. Key to our moving here was the state’s protection of the right to work against union incursion and overreach, which is also codified in its constitution.
Freedom of speech & religion. The right to self-protection. Due process & fair trials.
233 years ago today, these and other God-given freedoms were formally ratified as our beloved Bill of Rights.
As Alabamians, we dare defend them — today and every day. #alpolitics
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) December 15, 2024
Article 1, Section 35 of the constitution clearly states:
That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression.
As a refugee of two states (California and Illinois) where the government regularly promotes and creates laws that usurp and oppress, it is refreshing that this is not only defined, but can be used to defend. Alabamians love their constitution, strive to live up to its values, and hold its representatives accountable to it. Nothing is perfect; sadly, there are many imperfect people and legislators who are greedy, craven, or just want to trade freedom for oppression, not to mention the fissures and flaws in the infrastructure of the state that need repair. There is much work to be done to fully align with the constitution, and I am here to help see it done. But our values and focus closely align with what Thomas Jefferson intended when he wrote, “We The People.” We could also provide guidance to those states that have moved away from self-governance and individual liberty into statism.
My state representative, Kerry “Bubba” Underwood (so Southern), spoke at our local Republican club meeting about the 2025 Alabama legislative agenda, and he was optimistic that because of the results of the 2024 election, a unique alignment had occurred. President-elect Trump won the state by 65 percent and won 55 of 67 counties. With optimism from these results both nationally and local, Underwood had this to say about Alabama values.
I believe that the values of Alabama should be the values of the entire country. This is, you know, a beautiful state, a beautiful place to live. And I believe it’s time for us to take our values and our significant things and tell the rest of the country this is what matters here and this is how we can save the world.
I know moving to the state saved our lives on too many levels to recount here. When we were making plans to move here, while we received a great deal of support and encouragement, we also encountered a whole lot of negativity. Most of that came from people who had heard about Alabama or from their knowledge of the history of Alabama’s sins of slavery and Jim Crow. Now that I have lived here for over a year, have had a chance to study and participate in its history, and interact with the generational legacy of people and towns, there is a huge balance of things Alabama got right and the contributions it has made to America and society at large. Our U.S. Senator Tommy “Coach” Tuberville wrote in his homage to the state:
If it’s not already clear how amazing our state is, here’s some Alabama trivia to end on: Hank Williams, Nat King Cole, Cher and Lionel Richie – some of America’s most famed musicians – call our state home. Other famed Alabamians include Willie T. Mays, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Helen Keller, Octavia Spencer, Courteney Cox and many more. What else makes the state unique? Alabama is the most biodiverse state east of the Mississippi River with 64 types of terrestrial ecosystems. From celebrities to its landscape, Alabama is truly one of a kind.
The state is an underappreciated and unrecognized jewel that has a tremendous history that doesn’t just include oppression of people of color or backwood mentalities. But often, that is all you hear about. We know a lot about the Tuskegee Experiment but less about the Tuskegee Airmen and the famed “Red Tails.” We hear a great deal about Birmingham and less about Winston County for their protection of the Cherokee, their refusal to participate in the Civil War, and their contribution to the First Alabama Calvary, a Union regiment in the then-slave state. We hear much about the civil rights movement in Montgomery and less about the movement in Florence, where, in 1963, Wendell Wilkie Gunn not only integrated Florence College (now University of North Alabama) but now serves on its board.
According to Alabama lore, Mardi Gras actually started in Mobile and not New Orleans. It is an established fact that Veterans Day in America started in Alabama. And many don’t realize that Huntsville has been a pivotal part of the space race and is one of the technology hubs of the world.
As a person who is one-sixteenth Native American, one of the very touching stories I have heard is the compassion and aid the city of Tuscumbia (also the birthplace of Helen Keller) gave to the Cherokee nation as they passed through what is now known as the Trail of Tears.
Creek Indians began to pass through Tuscumbia on their way west as early as 1827. Generally, the Indians were treated well in Tuscumbia. The newspaper reported that the citizens of Tuscumbia felt “sympathy and general admiration” for the Cherokees. A Creek chief, Chilly McIntos described their stay here as: “The citizens of Tuscumbia have treated us like brothers, and our helpless women were furnished by the good women of the town with clothing… As long as our nation remains upon this earth we will recollect Tuscumbia.” November 30, 1827
Tuscumbia’s citizens’ positive acceptance and care of the Indians as they were moving through the area saved many lives, and is a proud party of the city’s heritage.
So, along with Alabama’s constitution, these historic examples show that Alabama values are weaved through the fabric of our state and its people and ultimately win the day. These values should be shared with the rest of the nation to encourage and facilitate what President-elect Donald Trump said in his victory speech would be a “new, golden age for the United States.”
I’m here for it.
