Education.—Alabama, in common with other Southern States, has had great difficulty in developing its educational system. The common schools of the State are fairly well equipped, and near ly all counties are provided with high schools. The percentage of illiteracy is high, but is steadily decreasing. The large percentage of negro population ac counts in a large measure for the low average of literacy. The school popula tion is about 750,000. The total enroll ment in the schools is about 450,000. There are about 8,000 teachers in schools for white children and about 3,000 in schools for colored children. The prin cipal universities and colleges are the University of Alabama (opened 1831; non-sectarian) ; the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (1881) ; Birming ham Southern College, Woman's College of Alabama, Spring Hill College, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Howard College, St. Bernard College, Judson College, Athens Female College.
Churches.—The strongest denomina tions numerically in the State are the Baptist; Methodist Episcopal, South; Roman Catholic; Methodist Episcopal; and the Protestant Episcopal.
Railroads.—The total railway mileage in the State in 1919 was 5,420. During the year there were built about 12 miles of main track. Recent developments in the coal, iron, and manufacturing indus tries have greatly stimulated railroad construction and extension.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of four years. Legis lative sessions are held biennially and are limited to 50 days each. The Legis lature has 35 members in the Senate and 106 in the House, each of whom receives $4 per day and mileage. There are 10 representatives in Congress. In politics, the State is strongly Democratic.
History.—Alabama was first settled by Bienville, in 1702. The region N. of 31°, which belonged to France, was ceded to Great Britain in 1763, transferred to the United States in 1783, and attached to South Carolina and Georgia till 1802, when it was organized as the Mississippi Territory. The region S. of 31°, which belonged to Spain, was seized and joined to Mississippi Territory in 1812, and with Florida was purchased from Spain in 1819. The great Creek Indian war of 1813-1814 was waged within the pres ent limits of the State. After Alabama was admitted to the Union, it became one of the strongest slave-holding States In the Union. It was one of the first of the Southern States to favor secession, and Montgomery, its capital, became the first capital of the Southern Confederacy. During the Civil War its soil and waters were the scenes of memorable conflicts, especially the Federal naval operations against MOBILE (q.v.). Since the war, the State has had an era of uniform prosperity.