History of slavery in Alabama facts for kids

Slavery in Alabama grew significantly during the 1800s, becoming a major part of the state's economy. While there was some slavery of Native Americans in the past, it was soon replaced by a much larger system of plantation slavery.

After the cotton gin was invented in 1793, and following the War of 1812 and the defeat of the Creek Nation in the 1810s, more European-American settlers moved to Alabama. They brought with them the system of slavery to work on new farms called plantations. The Alabama Territory had very fertile land, perfect for growing cotton. Because of this, Alabama became a main place where African-American people were brought as slaves from other parts of the Southeastern United States.

Most of the new settlers came from nearby states like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They were looking for good land to grow cotton in areas like the Tennessee Valley and the Black Belt region. The plantation system became very strong in Alabama during the first half of the 1800s. By 1860, a census showed that 45% of Alabama's population were enslaved people, and 3% were free Black people. Alabama was one of the first seven states to leave the United States before the American Civil War began.

The End of Slavery in Alabama

Slavery was officially ended in the United States by the Thirteenth Amendment. This important change to the U.S. Constitution became law on December 18, 1865.

Before this, President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This proclamation declared that enslaved people in states that were rebelling against the United States were free. However, the U.S. government did not control many of these areas until later in the war. This meant that many enslaved people declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation were still held in slavery until Union forces took control of those regions.