Editing History of Alabama (section)

===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>