What Europeans explored Alabama?
The European presence in what is now Alabama began in the early sixteenth century, when Spanish explorers reached the Gulf Coast. In 1540, Hernando de Soto and his men became the first Europeans to traverse Alabama's interior, bringing death and destruction to several Native American towns on his route.
Who were the first explorers of Alabama?
The first European to arrive in the area was Spanish explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda in 1519. More Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1500s including Hernando de Soto in 1540.
Who is the first European explorer to visit Alabama?
explorer Hernando de SotoFort Toulouse In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his forces first set foot in what is now Alabama. His arrival marked the beginning of a dramatic cultural shift in the Southeast.
When did Europeans come to Alabama?
Europeans reached the area in the 16th century. During the first half of the 19th century, cotton and slave labor were central to Alabama's economy.
Who migrated to Alabama?
The top countries of origin for immigrants were Mexico (27 percent of immigrants), China (6 percent), India (6 percent), Guatemala (5 percent), and Germany (5 percent). In 2018, 166,266 people in Alabama (3 percent of the state's population) were native-born Americans who had at least one immigrant parent.
Where did Alabama come from?
ALABAMA: From an Indian tribe of the Creek Confederacy originally called the Alabamas or Alibamons, who in turn gave the name to a river from which the State name was derived. ALASKA: From Eskimo word "alakshak”, meaning peninsula; also said to mean "great lands."
Where did Hernando de Soto come from?
Badajoz, SpainHernando de Soto / Place of birthThe province of Badajoz is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres in the north, Toledo, Ciudad Real in the east, Córdoba in the south-east, Seville, and Huelva in the south and Portugal in the west. Wikipedia
Who was the first explorer to sail all the way down the Mississippi River?
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La SalleRené-Robert CavelierNationalityFrenchOccupationexplorerKnown forexploring the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and the Gulf of MexicoSignature4 more rows
Where did Hernando de Soto go?
Seeking greater glory and riches, de Soto embarked on a major expedition in 1538 to conquer Florida for the Spanish crown. He and his men traveled nearly 4,000 miles throughout the region that would become the southeastern United States in search of riches, fighting off Native American attacks along the way.
Who were North Alabama settlers?
In contrast, the people who settled North Alabama were small farmers who migrated to the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama from North Carolina or simply moved down from the hill country of Tennessee. The land they settled on was not conducive to growing cotton. It was hilly and less fertile.
What Alabama is known for?
What Is Alabama Known For? Alabama is known for its Southern hospitality, its history of civil rights struggles, and as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a large producer of two commodities in the United States and is a significant home to space discovery.
What are 3 historical facts about Alabama?
12 Interesting Things You Didn't Know About The History Of...The state of Alabama got its name from the Alabama River. ... Sheriff Pat Garrett, the man famous for killing "Billy the Kid" in 1881, was born in Cusseta, Alabama. ... In 1703, the United State's first Mardi Gras celebration took place in Mobile, Alabama.More items...•
What are 3 historical facts about Alabama?
12 Interesting Things You Didn't Know About The History Of...The state of Alabama got its name from the Alabama River. ... Sheriff Pat Garrett, the man famous for killing "Billy the Kid" in 1881, was born in Cusseta, Alabama. ... In 1703, the United State's first Mardi Gras celebration took place in Mobile, Alabama.More items...•
What was the first city in Alabama?
Childersburg, Alabama is proclaimed as the Oldest Continually Occupied City in America... dating to 1540. The city's beginnings date back to Coosa, a village of the Coosa Indian Nation that was located in the area.
Where was the first French colony in Alabama?
In 1717, French explorers and settlers traveled up the Alabama River from Mobile and established Fort Toulouse near a Native Creek village at the confluence of two rivers near the present town of Wetumpka, twenty miles north of Montgomery, the present-day state capital.
What Alabama is known for?
What Is Alabama Known For? Alabama is known for its Southern hospitality, its history of civil rights struggles, and as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a large producer of two commodities in the United States and is a significant home to space discovery.
Who were the first Europeans to explore the Mississippi River?
The first known European explorers were Spaniards, who arrived at Mobile Bay in 1519. The main thrust of exploration came in 1540, when Hernando de Soto and his army of about 500 men entered the interior from the valley of the Tennessee River to search for gold. His expedition, which crisscrossed the area extensively, included the first European sighting of the Mississippi River and added greatly to European knowledge of southern indigenous cultures; it also opened the whole region to European settlement. A battle with the warriors of Choctaw chief Tuscaloosa, however, resulted in the slaughter of several thousand Native Americans in the area, one of the bloodiest single encounters between Europeans and indigenous peoples in North America. De Soto ultimately found no gold, and the Spaniards who followed him failed to establish settlements in Alabama.
Where did the French settle in Alabama?
In 1702 the French founded the first permanent European settlement in Alabama, at Fort Louis, north of present-day Mobile. The British had also made a number of trips to the region from the Carolinas, but the French settlements—part of a string of forts arcing southward from Canada and designed to contain the British—were more numerous. Port Dauphin, on Dauphin Island, received the first Africans when a slave ship landed there in 1719.
What was the bloodiest encounter between Europeans and Native Americans in North America?
A battle with the warriors of Choctaw chief Tuscaloosa, however, resulted in the slaughter of several thousand Native Americans in the area, one of the bloodiest single encounters between Europeans and indigenous peoples in North America.
What is the state of Alabama?
The present-day state of Alabama was originally inhabited by various indigenous peoples. Visible traces of their occupancy, which spanned nearly 10,000 years, may be seen at Dust Cave, a Paleo-Indian site; at Russell Cave, a site dating to the Archaic period; and at Moundsville, a Mississippian site nestled in a series of large mounds that snake across the land. Many place-names in the state are of Native American origin, including the name Alabama itself, which derives from a word that perhaps means “thicket clearers.” The principal indigenous groups at the time of the initial European exploration of the region were the Chickasaw, in the northwest; the Cherokee, in the northeastern uplands; the Upper Creek, or Muskogee, in the centre and southeast; and the Choctaw, in the southwest.
How many people were in Alabama in 1820?
By 1820 Alabama’s population was more than 125,000, including about 500 free Blacks. By 1830 there were 300,000 residents, nearly one-fifth of them slaves, and cotton was the principal cash crop.
Where did the first Africans settle?
The British had also made a number of trips to the region from the Carolinas, but the French settlements—part of a string of forts arcing southward from Canada and designed to contain the British—were more numerous. Port Dauphin, on Dauphin Island, received the first Africans when a slave ship landed there in 1719.
What happened in 1832?
The Creek cession of 1832 virtually ended the claims of indigenous peoples to territorial rights in Alabama. Although a small number of Creeks remain in the southern part of the state, most descendants of Alabama’s original inhabitants live in Oklahoma.
Who was the first European to visit Alabama?
The first known European contact with what would become Alabama occurred in 1519 when Alonso Alvarez de Pineda sailed in Mobile Bay.
When did Europeans settle in Alabama?
The first permanent European settlement in Alabama was founded by the French at Fort Louis de la Mobile in 1702.
What are the names of the tribes in Alabama?
The names of the Alabama tribes included: Alabama- The Native word is "Albina" which means to camp....This tribe belonged to the Muskhogean Tribe which was the Southern Division. Abihika- A branch of the Muskgoee & Creek Confederacy. Atasi- A sub-tribe of the Muskgoee.
What tribes lived on the Chattahoochee River?
Apalachee- This is one of the older lower creek tribes of Alabama. A few later joined the Creeks to he move to Oklahoma. Apalachicola- The early tribe lived on the Chattahoochee River & then moved to the other side to Georgia.
What is early history?
Early history examines the archaeological record that tells the story of the first inhabitants of Alabama. Learn about the prehistory and culture of the first early inhabitants, and what lessons it might teach us about the early history of Alabama.
Which tribes occupied the Tombigbee area?
Chatot- A tribe near Mobile. Choctaw- A tribe that shortly occupied the Tombigbee area for hunting grounds.
When was Alabama first settled?
Alabama First Early Inhabitants Timeline. 10,000 BC - 7000 BC - The first inhabitants of the area we now call Alabama were of the Paleo-Indian culture, semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived in caves or in the open countryside around 10,000 years ago. (e.g. Russell Cave in Jackson County and the Stanfield-Worley bluff shelter in Colbert County).
Which country was the leader in the exploration of the southern part of the United States?
Spain played the leading role in exploration of vast areas of what is now the southern section of the United States. In 1527 and 1528, Pánfilo de Narváez (c. 1478–1528) led a disastrous expedition to Florida and the Texas shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.
Who was the first European to find the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean?
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) became the first European to find the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean. That same year, Juan Ponce de León (1460–1521) led the first European expedition into Florida , which he claimed for Spain.
What did the Spanish find in the New World?
The first Spaniards to arrive in the New World found gold and silver there. News of possible riches brought many more explorers and Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) to the American continents in the first half of the sixteenth century. In 1499 and 1500, Italian navigator Amerigo de Vespucci (1454–1512) led a Spanish-sponsored expedition that first discovered the mainland of the American continents; the name “America” is derived from his name. In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) became the first European to find the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean. That same year, Juan Ponce de León (1460–1521) led the first European expedition into Florida , which he claimed for Spain. From 1519 to 1521, Hernán Cortés (1485–1547) explored central Mexico and conquered the powerful Aztecs, taking over their principal city and establishing the headquarters of New Spain in Mexico City.
How long have Native Americans been living in the United States?
Native Americans have been living in and exploring the vast territory that makes up the present-day United States for tens of thousands of years. Many tribes traded far and wide and had a vast knowledge of the continent's geography. The first known European explorers to arrive on the continent, Vikings from Scandinavia led by Leif Eriksson (c. 970–1020), appeared around 1000 C.E. and established a temporary settlement in the present-day Canadian province of Newfoundland. After that, there were no known European explorations of the New World until the Spanish-sponsored Italian navigator Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) arrived in 1492.
What did Columbus call the West Indies?
Thinking he had arrived in Asia, he called the islands the “ West Indies ” and their people, “Indians.”. Columbus went to explore and create colonies for Spain in the islands. Italian explorer John Cabot (c. 1450–c. 1499) was living in England when he learned of Columbus's voyages.
What did Jacques Cartier discover?
From 1534 to 1541, Jacques Cartier (1491–1557) made three voyages to Canada, discovering the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River.
What was the major incentive in the burst of European exploration that began in the fifteenth century?
Trade was the major incentive in the burst of European exploration that began in the fifteenth century. Once European countries, particularly Italy, had developed trade relations with the Middle East (a vast region of the world encompassing North Africa and Southwest Asia), goods from Asia were in high demand. European governments began to sponsor navigators (people who set the courses for ships) to explore new routes to the mysterious regions beyond the borders of Europe. The Portuguese were the first to find routes around the Horn of Africa (a peninsula in northeastern Africa) to India in 1498. Portugal then reaped huge profits in trade in Asia and Africa.
Early European Explorers
Spanish Explorers
- The first Spaniards to arrive in the New World found gold and silver there. News of possible riches brought many more explorers and Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) to the American continents in the first half of the sixteenth century. In 1499 and 1500, Italian navigator Amerigo de Vespucci (1454–1512) led a Spanish-sponsored expedition that first discovered the mainland o…
French Explorers
- France, too, wished to find trade routes to Asia and establish colonies in the New World. In 1524, the French king sponsored an expedition to the New World seeking the elusive Northwest Passage. The expedition was led by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (c. 1485–c. 1528), who explored the East Coast of the present-day United States from what is now North Carolina u…
English Explorers
- The English were slow to take an interest in the New World, but in 1576 English explorer Martin Frobisher (c. 1535–1594) set out to find the Northwest Passage. Like Cabot, he failed in his original goal, but Frobisher returned with samples of shiny gold rocks that English geologists declared to be gold. After a second fruitless search for the Northwest Passage, he brought back …
Other European Explorers
- The Dutch employed English explorer Henry Hudson (d. 1611) to find the Northwest Passage in 1609. After sailing to the coast of Nova Scotia, Hudson headed south as far as the Chesapeake Bay, then returned north to explore the Delaware Bay, and finally sailed into the entrance to New York harbor on September 12, 1609. He sailed up the large river th...