Sweet Home Alabama — the skies are blue and the history is deep. Its distinctive culture stands as a pinnacle of the Deep South with a football team that has won more than 15 national championships, tasty local specialties like pulled pork and fried dill pickles, and a southern drawl that’s sweet as Sorghum molasses.

But there’s more to Alabama than what meets the eye. Before Alabama became one of the shining stars on the American flag, its history had already begun. Alabama 200 years ago was a very different place. Before Alabama was even a speck in the eyes of white settlers, native populations thrived upon its rich red soil. But when Europeans landed in the New World, everything changed and the gears of modern history began to turn.

While Alabama seems to be a place to sleepily lounge in the sun and watch the world rush by, its own history was anything but lethargic. Once the ball toward statehood began rolling in Alabama, little could stop it. Alabama seemingly had a hand in every major event in U.S. history, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil Rights movement to current events with history in the making, and everything in between.

In “Events That Changed the Course of History: The Story of Alabama Becoming a State 200 Years Later”, you’ll learn how this underdog of a state that is often written off has a unique and ever-changing history that will surely leave you wanting to visit and see the history for yourself.

Myra Faye Turner