This article is part one of a two part series that examines at least a portion of the settlers that came to the Old Southwest early in the 19^th century.

With the 199^th Anniversary of the Massacre at Fort Mims clearly on the horizon it is most relevant that we take a look at the people that were present in Alabama at the time of the event, and of those that came after. 

The Alabama Territory was established by Congressional Act on March 3, 1817. Prior to that date, the region that would be Alabama, for the most part, had been included in the Mississippi Territory with a large portion of Baldwin County situated within the Spanish realm of West Florida.  Once the new territory was established, the laws and the officials of the Mississippi Territory were kept in place, at least initially. Beyond that William Wyatt Bibb of Georgia was appointed governor in a move that was logical in that many of the inhabitants of the region had originated from that state.         

To that end, an examination of the inhabitants of the Mississippi and Alabama Territories can shed light on the character of the region itself. The migration of people into the Old Southwest (Mississippi Territory and then the Alabama Territory) was facilitated, in large part, by the spread of the cotton culture, among other catalysts.

As the late 19^th century quickly approached, England began the advancement of its manufacturing segment known simply as the Industrial Revolution. This mechanization process increased the demand for cotton to fulfill the need for raw product in the textile industry. In turn, the industrialization process lowered costs of products, increased job opportunities, and in the end, flamed the fires of the westward expansion of the United States further into the Old Southwest.

Throughout the mid to late 18^th century, cotton had been planted along the coastline of South Carolina and Georgia. The variety seen there was long-staple cotton that contained an elongated fiber that could be readily separated from the seed by hand using a special comb designed for the process. Unfortunately for the planter, the only type of cotton that would grow in the upland areas away from the coast was the short staple variety that was not amenable to separation from the seed by hand. The fibers stuck to the seed and made the separation process so tedious that it was not economically viable. It was not until Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, made available in 1793, that this second variety of cotton inspired the move inland by hopeful planters. In turn, it was this economic potential that helped encourage the population growth in the Mississippi Territory. 

The War of 1812 became a watershed moment in the migration west and to the cotton culture that was a large part of that mass movement of people. Initially the war with Britain stifled the cotton market, while the emphasis by America was to overcome its old advisory. The opposite effect occurred shortly after the conflict was resolved when the demand in England for raw cotton drove the planters of the Old Southwest deeper into the region to seek their fortune.

The sale of lands that were part of the territories and that of the ceded Creek lands provided unparalleled opportunity to planters seeking out new sites upon which to raise their cash crop. When sales of newly surveyed lands opened in St. Stephens, more than 100,000 acres were sold by 1816. Land sold from the Creek cession totaled $750,000 in 1817 alone.                                                                                                                                                                                                           So where did these individuals come from that invaded the interior of Mississippi and Alabama?

Noted historian Thomas Perkins Abernethy, distinguished as a professor of history at the University of Virginia, believed that they originated in the piedmont, which is a plateau located in the eastern United States between the coastal plain of the Atlantic and the Appalachian Mountains to the west. He maintained his reasoning by stating that the planters along the eastern cost were well entrenched in their lands and their society and thus had less to gain by moving. The less established, less wealthy inhabitants of the piedmont had much more incentive to make a life-changing move to the Old Southwest. 

The move itself could be most unsettling, no pun intended, on the household of the planter. To fund the move, the owner usually sold the old property to pay expenses. All household goods and farm implements were loaded onto wagons for the journey. Livestock were then driven by hired men and/or slaves. The planter left all he knew behind in hopes of a better life and success for his family. The paths they took on their journeys varied, yet all were treacherous and uncomfortable. We will examine the roadways to the west next week.