Alabama Genealogy

The rural white minority’s hold on the legislature continued, suppressing attempts by more progressive elements to modernize the state. A study in 1960 concluded that because of rural domination, “A minority of about 25 per cent of the total state population is in majority control of the Alabama legislature.” Legislators and others mounted challenges in the 1960s. It took years and Federal court intervention to achieve the redistricting necessary to establishing “one man, one vote” representation.

In 1960 on the eve of important civil rights battles, 30% of Alabama’s population was African American. More than 980,000 citizens lived without justice in a segregated state.

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Popularity: 10% [?]

Despite Birmingham’s powerful industrial growth and its contributions to the state economy, its citizens, and those of other newly developing areas, were underrepresented in the state legislature for years. The rural-dominated legislature refused to redistrict state House and Senate seats from 1901 to the 1960s. This led to a stranglehold on the state by a white rural minority. The contemporary interests of urbanizing, industrial cities and tens of thousands of citizens were not adequately represented in the government. One result was that Jefferson County, home of Birmingham’s industrial and economic powerhouse, contributed more than one-third of all tax revenue to the state. It received back only 1/67th of the tax money, as the state legislature ensured taxes were distributed equally to each county regardless of population.

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Popularity: 17% [?]