Editing History of Alabama (section)

==Progressive era (1900–1930)==
[[File:Ensley, Alabama (February, 1937).jpg|thumb|350px|right|Blast furnaces such as the [[Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company]]'s Ensley Works made [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] an important center for iron production in the early 20th century.]]
The [[Progressive Movement]] in Alabama, while not as colorful or successful as in some other states, drew upon the energies of a rapidly growing middle class, and flourished from 1900 to the late 1920s.<ref>Sheldon Hackney, ''Populism to Progressivism in Alabama'' (1969), Covers 1892 1910</ref> Reforms that were enacted included the corrupt practices act of 1915; the registration law of 1915; the direct election of U.S. senators; encouraging the establishment of commission government in the towns and cities; and the ratification of the 19th amendment to allow women the right to vote.  They replaced nomination by party convention with primary elections for nominating candidates. While the Progressives denied Blacks and many poor white people the right to vote, they did facilitate much more opportunity for participation in the government to middle class whites.<ref>Allen Jones, "Political reforms of the Progressive era" '' Alabama Review'' (1968) 21#3 pp 173-194 in Wiggins, ed., ''From Civil War to Civil Rights—Alabama, 1860–1960: An Anthology from the Alabama Review'' (1987) pp 203–220.</ref>

[[B. B. Comer]] (1848–1927) was the state's most prominent progressive leader, especially during his term as governor (1907–1911). Middle-class reformers placed high on their agenda the regulation of railroads, and a better school system, with compulsory education and the prohibition of child labor.<ref>Rogers, et al. ''Alabama: The History of a Deep South State '' (1994) 355-75</ref> Comer sought 20 different railroad laws, to strengthen the railroad commission, reduce free passes handed out to grasping politicians, lobbying, and secret rebates to favored shippers. The Legislature approved his package, except for a provision that tried to forbid freight trains operating on Sundays. The result was a reduction in both freight and passenger rates. Railroads fought back vigorously in court, and in the arena of public opinion. The issue was fiercely debated for years, making Alabama laggard among the southern states in terms of controlling railroad rates.  Finally in 1914 a compromise was reached, in which the railroads accepted the reduced passenger rates, but were free to seek higher freight rates through the court system.<ref>James Fletcher Doster, ''Railroads in Alabama politics: 1875–1914'' (1957).</ref><ref>James F Doster, "Comer, Smith and  Jones: Alabama's Railroad War," in Wiggins, ed., ''From Civil War to Civil Rights—Alabama, 1860–1960: An Anthology from the Alabama Review'' (1987) pp 221–30.</ref>

Progressive reforms cost money, especially for the improved school system. Eliminating the inefficiencies of the tax collection system helped a bit. Reformers wanted to end the convict lease system, but it was producing a profit to the government of several hundred thousand dollars a year. That was too lucrative to abolish; however the progressives did move control over convict lease from the counties to a statewide system.  Finally the legislature increased statewide funding for the schools, and established the policy of at least one high school in every county; by 1911 half the counties operated public high schools for whites. Compulsory education was opposed by working-class families who wanted their children to earn money, and who distrusted the schooling the middle class was so insistent upon. But it finally passed in 1915; it was enforced for whites only and did not apply to farms. By 1910 Alabama still lagged with 62 percent of its children in school, compared to a national average of 71 percent.

The progressives worked hard to upgrade the hospital and public health system, with provisions to require the registration of births and deaths to provide the information needed. When the Rockefeller Foundation identified the hookworm as a critical element in draining energy out of Southern workers, Alabama discovered hookworm cases in every county, with rates as high as 60 percent. The progressive genius for organization and devotion to the public good was least controversial in the public health area and probably most successful there.<ref>Rogers et al. ''Alabama'' pp 362–67</ref>  Prohibition was a favorite reform for Protestant churches across this entire country, and from the 1870s to the 1920s, Alabama passed a series of more restrictive laws that were demanded by the [[Women's Christian Temperance Union]] (WCTU) and other reform elements.<ref>Rogers et al. ''Alabama''  pp 370–75</ref><ref>James Benson Sellers, ''The prohibition movement in Alabama, 1702 to 1943'' (U of North Carolina Press, 1943.</ref>

Middle-class business and professional activists in the cities were frustrated with the old-fashioned politicized city governments and demanded a commission formed in which municipal affairs would be very largely run by experts rather than politicians.  [[Emmet O'Neal]], elected governor in 1910, made the commission system his favored reform, and secured its passage by the legislature in 1911. The cities of Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile quickly adopted the commission form<ref>Jones, "Political Reforms of the Progressive Era," pp. 175—206.</ref>

Women energized by the prohibition wars turned their crusading energies to woman suffrage. They were unable to overcome male supremacy until the national movement passed the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote in 1920.<ref>Mary Martha Thomas, ''The New Woman in Alabama: Social Reforms, and Suffrage, 1890–1920'' (U of Alabama Press, 19920.</ref>

===Railroads and industry===
The economy of Alabama in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was largely based on agriculture and industry. Cotton was the primary crop grown in the state, and it was supplemented by corn and livestock. Timber was also an important part of the economy, as large tracts of pine forests were harvested for lumber and naval stores such as turpentine and rosin. Iron ore was mined from the Appalachian Mountains and shipped to the state's steel mills.  By the 1880s, Alabama was a major producer of coal, and the state's railroads helped to transport the coal to other markets. Manufacturing also began to take hold in the state, with the establishment of cotton mills, sawmills, and other industries.<ref name="Rogers pp 277-287">Rogers et al. ''Alabama'' pp 277-287.</ref>

By the 1920s, the urban economy  was largely based on manufacturing, with the production of cotton textiles, timber products, and iron and steel being the major industries. The Great Depression of the 1930s, however, caused a significant decline in the state's economy<ref name="Rogers pp 277-287"/>

[[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] was founded on June 1, 1871, by real estate promoters who sold lots near the planned crossing of the [[Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad|Alabama & Chattanooga]] and South & North railroads. The site was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal and limestone—the three principal raw materials used in making steel. Its founders adopted the name of England's principal industrial city to advertise the new city as a center of iron and steel production. Despite outbreaks of [[cholera]], the population of this 'Pittsburgh of the South' grew from 38,000 to 132,000 from 1900 to 1910, attracting rural white and black migrants from all over the region.<ref>[http://www.bplonline.org/locations/central/gov/BirminghamsPopulation1880-2000.asp Birmingham's Population, 1880–2000<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121112308/http://www.bplonline.org/locations/central/gov/BirminghamsPopulation1880-2000.asp |date=January 21, 2008 }}</ref> Birmingham experienced such rapid growth that it was nicknamed "The Magic City."  By the 1920s, Birmingham was the 19th largest city in the U.S. and held more than 30% of the population of the state. Heavy industry and mining were the basis of the economy.  Chemical and structural constraints limited the quality of steel produced from Alabama's iron and coal. These materials did, however, combine to make ideal foundry iron. Because of low transportation and labor costs, Birmingham quickly became the largest and cheapest foundry iron-producing area. By 1915, twenty-five percent of the nation's foundry pig iron was produced in Birmingham.<ref>Ethel Armes and James R. Bennett, ''The story of coal and iron in Alabama'' (U of Alabama Press, 2011).</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.slossfurnaces.com/media/pdfs/online_lessons/Alabama_New_South.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702025323/http://www.slossfurnaces.com/media/pdfs/online_lessons/Alabama_New_South.pdf |archive-date=2007-07-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>