Alabama Territory

The Alabama Territory[n] was designated by two interdependent Acts of the Congress of the United States, passed by both chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives on March 1 and 3, 1817,[3][4] but it did not become effective until October 10, 1817.

[1][5][6] The delay was due to a provision in the Congressional Organic Act passed in Washington, which stated that the act would only take effect if and when the western part of the Mississippi Territory (1798–1817) were to form a state constitution and government on the road to statehood.

A state constitution for Mississippi was drawn up and adopted by Mississippian delegates on August 15, 1817, elections were held the next month in September, and the first legislative session convened in October,[1] with the western part of the Mississippi Territory existing since 1798 becoming the State of Mississippi on December 10, 1817.

William Wyatt Bibb (1781–1820), formerly of Georgia was the only territorial governor, later elected to that position after achieving statehood.

On December 14, 1819, Alabama was admitted to the federal Union as the 22nd state,[5][8] with appointed territorial governor William W. Bibb (1781-1820), formerly of &Georgia, becoming the elected first state governor (1819–1820).

1817 era map of the former Mississippi Territory (1798-1817), of the southwestern United States , showing the new U.S. state of Mississippi (to the west / left), and adjacent remaining Alabama Territory (on the east / right). At the bottom / south is the western panhandle of Spanish Florida and West Florida along the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico , part of the American purchase of the future Florida Territory in 1819 and subsequent state of Florida by 1845.