| Territory of Alabama | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organized incorporated territory of United States | |||||||||
| 1817–1819 | |||||||||
.svg) Flag | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Capital | St. Stephens | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Type | Organized incorporated territory | ||||||||
| Governor | |||||||||
• 1817–1819 | William Wyatt Bibb | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | December 10, 1817[1] 1817 | ||||||||
| December 14, 1819[1] 1819 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
TheTerritory of Alabama (sometimesAlabama Territory) was anorganized incorporated territory of the United States. The Alabama Territory was carved from theMississippi Territory on August 15, 1817[2] and lasted until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to theUnion as the twenty-second state.
The Alabama Territory[n] was designated by two interdependent Acts of theCongress of the United States, passed by both chambers, theSenate and theHouse of Representatives on March 1 and 3, 1817,[3][4] but it did not become effective until October 10, 1817.[1][5][6] The delay was due to a provision in the Congressional Organic Act passed in Washington, which stated that the act would only take effect if and when the western part of theMississippi Territory (1798–1817) were to form a state constitution and government on the road to statehood. Astate constitution for Mississippi was drawn up and adopted by Mississippian delegates on August 15, 1817, elections were held the next month in September, and the first legislative session convened in October,[1] with the western part of theMississippi Territory existing since 1798 becoming theState of Mississippi on December 10, 1817.[7]
St. Stephens, located in the central area of the Alabama Territory on theTombigbee River, was the onlyterritorial capital during the period.William Wyatt Bibb (1781–1820), formerly ofGeorgia was the only territorial governor, later elected to that position after achieving statehood.
On December 14, 1819,Alabama was admitted to the federal Union as the 22ndstate,[5][8] with appointed territorial governorWilliam W. Bibb (1781-1820), formerly ofGeorgia, becoming the elected first state governor (1819–1820).
