Page 366 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

364  THE DEEP SOUTH

Alabama toward Montgomery, the capital,
violently clashed with the police
Alabama slopes from the Cumberland Plateau in the at Edmund Pettus Bridge. A few
northeast, across forested ridges and fertile plains to the Gulf weeks later, however, Dr. Martin
of Mexico at Mobile Bay. The first European presence was Luther King Jr. led a successful
established by the French along the coast in the early 1700s. march to the State Capitol steps.
The National Voting Rights
During the next 100 years, settlement increased as overland Museum encapsulates the story,
immigrants from Tennessee and Georgia moved here, ousting and an annual re-enactment
the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Creek tribes from their ancestral pays tribute to the event.
lands. With progress, cotton fed the port of Mobile, and the Before the Civil Rights era,
steel industry drove Birmingham’s economy. Today, the state Selma was known as the
is known for its diverse landscape, its antebellum architecture, “Arsenal of the Confederacy.” It
produced weapons, cannons,
and, most importantly, its Civil Rights history. and ironclad ships. Much of the
city was destroyed during the
war, but the townscape along
the river remained intact. The
city’s 1891 cherry-red train depot
has exhibits on local history.
E National Voting Rights Museum
6 US Hwy 80 E. Tel (334) 418-0800.
Open 10am–4pm Mon–Thu, by appt
Fri–Sun. & 7 ∑ nvrmi.com
s Montgomery
* 224,000. @ n 300 Water St,
(334) 262-0013. ∑ visiting
montgomery.com
Reconstructed Fort Conde, Mobile Alabama’s capital city since
1846, Montgomery was also
p Mobile E Fort Conde the Confederacy’s first capital
150 Royal St. Tel (251) 208-7304.
* 195,000. ~ £ @ n 1 S Water Open 8am–5pm daily. Closed Mardi during the Civil War. In 1861,
St, (251) 208-2000. ∑ mobile.org Gras, public hols. Jefferson Davis was sworn in as
the Confederate president on
This beautiful port city was the steps of the Greek Revival
founded as a French colony a Selma State Capitol. Across the street,
in 1702. Later it served as a * 21,000. @ n 912 Selma Ave, (334) the First White House of the
strategic Confederate port until 875-7241. ∑ selmaalabama.com Confederacy is now a museum
the final days of the Civil War. related to those times.
Today, the city retains both Situated on a bluff high above The city also played a pivotal
its French and Southern flavor the Alabama River, this city was role during the Civil Rights
and is best known for its the site of one the most notorious Movement. The segregation of
Mobile Carnival Museum, scenes in Civil Rights history. On the city’s transportation system
which includes memorabilia March 7, 1965, a day that became led to an act of defiance by
dating from the early 1800s. known as “Bloody Sunday,” 600 Rosa Parks, when she refused to
At the head of Mobile Bay Civil Rights protesters heading surrender her bus seat to a white
is Fort Conde, a partially man. In 1956, Dr. Martin Luther
reconstructed fort built by the King Jr. supported the year-long
French. Moored nearby is Montgomery Bus Boycott, which
the World War II battleship, brought about the desegrega-
USS Alabama. A scenic loop tion of the public transportation
drive around the bay leads to system. Its success was significant
two other historic forts, Fort as it not only strengthened the
Morgan to the east, and move ment, but also saw the rise
Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island. of King as the campaign’s leader.
Both are havens for birdlife. The city’s landmark Civil Rights
Memorial, designed by Vietnam
E Mobile Carnival Museum Veterans Memorial artist Maya
355 Government St. Tel (251) 432-3324. Lin (see p209), honors 40 martyrs
Open 9am–4pm Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat. Display inside the Voting Rights Museum who sacrificed their lives in the
& ∑ mobilecarnivalmuseum.com in Selma fight for racial equality.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp368–70 and pp371–3

364-365_EW_USA.indd 364 11/2/16 2:46 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm