Originally inhabited by American Indians, then explored by the Spanish, French and English, the Alabama Territory was finally ceded to the U.S. by the British in 1783, at the end of the Revolutionary War,

During the War of 1812, the very proud Creek Indians were defeated by Andrew Jackson's forces, and the Indian resistance in Alabama came to an end.

Over the next few decades, settlers arrived in great numbers, from both the northeast, and from neighboring states.

The talk of war was in the air in the American South, and in 1861, Alabama seceded from the Union. In February of that year, six southern states formed the Confederate States of America, naming Montgomery the capital.

Once the home of King Cotton, and the enormous economic benefits of that crop, it suffered for decades after the end of America's Civil War. It was very slow to recover, but recover it did.

This now vital part of the American south is tightly woven into the fabric of America's civil rights movement, and known worldwide for its Southern Hospitality.

Home to the Universities of Alabama and Auburn, it's also the site of NASA's cutting-edge center for U.S. space vehicle research.

The modern Alabama flag was first adopted in 1895, and features a red cross on a white field. It is intended to represent the Southern Cross, or Battle Flag of the Confederate States during America's Civil War.