Alabama Moves AheadAlabama Moves Ahead

Chapter 8Chapter 8

Lesson 1 – Rights and ReformsLesson 1 – Rights and Reforms

The Bourbon Redeemers approved a The Bourbon Redeemers approved a constitution in 1875.constitution in 1875.

Remember, they wanted to take Remember, they wanted to take away the right to vote from men who away the right to vote from men who were poor and from African American were poor and from African American men!men!

Many leaders in Alabama wanted a Many leaders in Alabama wanted a new plan for government, so in 1901, new plan for government, so in 1901, Alabamians voted to write a new Alabamians voted to write a new constitution.constitution.

Constitution of 1901Constitution of 1901

Delegates met in Montgomery in May Delegates met in Montgomery in May of 1901 to write a new constitution.of 1901 to write a new constitution.

They spent most of their time They spent most of their time debating who in Alabama should debating who in Alabama should have the right to vote:have the right to vote: Should it be allowed for all women, Should it be allowed for all women,

African American men, and poor men?African American men, and poor men? After it was written, the new After it was written, the new

constitution still DID NOT give constitution still DID NOT give women suffrage.women suffrage.

SuffrageSuffrage is the right to vote. is the right to vote.

Constitution of 1901Constitution of 1901 Pattie Ruffner Jacobs was a Pattie Ruffner Jacobs was a

women who continued to work women who continued to work for woman suffrage.for woman suffrage.

The delegates wrote new The delegates wrote new voting requirements in the voting requirements in the constitution that made it constitution that made it almost impossible for African almost impossible for African American men and poor men American men and poor men to vote.to vote.

Alabama voters ratified the Alabama voters ratified the new state constitution on new state constitution on November 11, 1901.November 11, 1901.

RatifiedRatified means to approve. means to approve.

Alabama Voting RequirementsAlabama Voting Requirements Constitution of Constitution of

18751875 Must be a male citizenMust be a male citizen Live in Alabama for 1 Live in Alabama for 1

year, a county for 3 year, a county for 3 months, and a section months, and a section of the county for 30 of the county for 30 daysdays

Never have been Never have been convicted of a crimeconvicted of a crime

Constitution of 1901Constitution of 1901 Must be a male citizenMust be a male citizen Live in Alabama for 2 Live in Alabama for 2

years, a county for 1 years, a county for 1 year, and a section of year, and a section of the county for 3 monthsthe county for 3 months

Pay a poll taxPay a poll tax Own property worth at Own property worth at

least $300 or 40 acres of least $300 or 40 acres of landland

Be able to read and write Be able to read and write in English a part of the in English a part of the constitutionconstitution

Be involved in a businessBe involved in a business Never have been Never have been

convicted of a crimeconvicted of a crime

EducationEducation

Governor Braxton Bragg Comer Governor Braxton Bragg Comer changed the tax system, which changed the tax system, which gave schools more money. He gave schools more money. He had more schools built in rural had more schools built in rural areas—at least one high school areas—at least one high school in each county, and he gave in each county, and he gave money to state colleges.money to state colleges.

Governor Thomas Kilby Governor Thomas Kilby organized school systems, and organized school systems, and he helped fund a program to he helped fund a program to help people learn to read and help people learn to read and write.write.

Lesson 2 – More ChangeLesson 2 – More Change By the late 1800s and early 1900s, new By the late 1800s and early 1900s, new

inventions and advances in technology inventions and advances in technology were changing the way people lived.were changing the way people lived.

TechnologyTechnology is the use of scientific is the use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.knowledge to solve practical problems.

Electric light bulb

Telephone Camera

Electric typewriter

ElectricityElectricity Electricity was one of the Electricity was one of the

most important most important developments during this developments during this time period.time period.

It took hundreds of years to It took hundreds of years to understand how to use it.understand how to use it.

In 1879, the electric light In 1879, the electric light bulb was developed.bulb was developed.

By late 1800s, electric street By late 1800s, electric street lamps lit the streets of lamps lit the streets of Mobile, Anniston, Mobile, Anniston, Birmingham, and Birmingham, and Montgomery.Montgomery.

Thomas Edison Video (30 Thomas Edison Video (30 minsmins))

Thomas Edison

Electric street lamps

More ElectricityMore Electricity

Life became easier Life became easier because of electricity!because of electricity!

People were now using People were now using refrigerators, vacuum refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, food mixers, cleaners, food mixers, electric typewriters, electric typewriters, telephones, and smaller telephones, and smaller cameras in their homes.cameras in their homes.

Neat website about the history Neat website about the history of vacuum cleaners-shows dateof vacuum cleaners-shows dates, pictures, and pricing from 19s, pictures, and pricing from 1900s00s

New TransportationNew Transportation Electric-powered streetcars replaced Electric-powered streetcars replaced

streetcars that had been pulled by horses in streetcars that had been pulled by horses in Mobile and Birmingham.Mobile and Birmingham.

Electric streetcars also carried people to the Electric streetcars also carried people to the suburbs.suburbs.

A A suburbsuburb is a town just outside or near a is a town just outside or near a city.city.

People started moving to suburbs because People started moving to suburbs because of the growing populations in the cities.of the growing populations in the cities.

New TransportationNew Transportation

Soon the automobile Soon the automobile became popular.became popular.

Alabama set up a highway Alabama set up a highway department to build and department to build and keep up state roads.keep up state roads.

By 1920 there were nearly By 1920 there were nearly 75,000 automobiles on 75,000 automobiles on roads in Alabama and roads in Alabama and more than 8 million cars in more than 8 million cars in the United States!the United States!

Henry Ford

Model T

A Great Place For IndustryA Great Place For Industry

Alabama’s coal and iron industries Alabama’s coal and iron industries continued to grow in the early 1900s.continued to grow in the early 1900s.

We also had the resources needed to make We also had the resources needed to make steel: coal, iron ore, and limestone.steel: coal, iron ore, and limestone.

The city of Birmingham eventually became a The city of Birmingham eventually became a steel-producing center.steel-producing center.

By the 1920s, Alabama had become the By the 1920s, Alabama had become the leading steel-manufacturing state in the leading steel-manufacturing state in the South.South.

ProblemsProblems

The quick growth of industry led to The quick growth of industry led to problems.problems.

For example, people were worried about For example, people were worried about children working in factories for long hours children working in factories for long hours and with little or no pay, so they formed and with little or no pay, so they formed labor unions.labor unions.

A A labor unionlabor union is a group of workers who is a group of workers who join together to try to gain better pay and join together to try to gain better pay and working conditions.working conditions.

Farming ProblemsFarming Problems

Even though other industries were Even though other industries were growing, Alabama still remained a farming growing, Alabama still remained a farming state.state.

Farmers were growing more corn, wheat, Farmers were growing more corn, wheat, and cotton than ever before!and cotton than ever before!

BUT cotton farmers were having problems.BUT cotton farmers were having problems. Remember, other countries were buying Remember, other countries were buying

cotton from India and Egypt because it cotton from India and Egypt because it was cheaper than Alabama cotton…was cheaper than Alabama cotton…

……so farmers tried to save money by so farmers tried to save money by paying their workers less.paying their workers less.

The Boll WeevilThe Boll Weevil Just when it seemed that conditions Just when it seemed that conditions

couldn’t get worse, disaster struck!couldn’t get worse, disaster struck! In 1915, the boll weevil destroyed cotton In 1915, the boll weevil destroyed cotton

fields across Alabama.fields across Alabama. The The boll weevilboll weevil is a large beetle that lives is a large beetle that lives

inside the cotton boll and destroys the inside the cotton boll and destroys the seeds.seeds.

The Boll WeevilThe Boll Weevil

This invasion actually This invasion actually changed farming in changed farming in Alabama.Alabama.

Before this incident, farmers Before this incident, farmers had grown just one crop—had grown just one crop—cotton.cotton.

Now, instead of relying on Now, instead of relying on just one crop, they began to just one crop, they began to grow a variety of crops such grow a variety of crops such as peanuts and started as peanuts and started raising dairy and beef cattle.raising dairy and beef cattle.

The Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, AL was built in 1919 after the invasion.

Hard TimesHard Times

Most Alabama farmers were Most Alabama farmers were sharecroppers, so the boll weevil invasion sharecroppers, so the boll weevil invasion made conditions worse for them.made conditions worse for them.

Remember, sharecroppers work land that Remember, sharecroppers work land that is owned by someone else.is owned by someone else.

They did not own land, they had little or no They did not own land, they had little or no money to spend on new crops, and they money to spend on new crops, and they moved a lot to farm new plots of land.moved a lot to farm new plots of land.

Many farmers were living in poverty.Many farmers were living in poverty. PovertyPoverty is the condition of being poor, or is the condition of being poor, or

not having enough money to meet your not having enough money to meet your needs.needs.

SharecroppersSharecroppers