SJR 8

SJR8 187998-2 By Senators Sanders and Orr RFD: Rules First Read: 09-JAN-18 SJR8 SJR8 ENROLLED, SJR8, JOINT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING CAHAWBA AS THE FIRST PERMANENT CAPITAL OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA. WHEREAS, bound by rivers on three sides, the Town of Cahawba, spelled "Cahaba" after 1850, boasts a long history of settlement including Native Americans and French, British, and Spanish colonist; and WHEREAS, empowered by the state Legislature to establish a permanent capital in Cahawba, William Wyatt Bibb, Alabama's first Governor, patterned the town on Philadelphia and secured the construction of a two-story statehouse; and WHEREAS, Cahawba was the capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1826, through the state's first four governors, eleven meetings of the state Supreme Court, and seven sessions of the Legislature, including the state's first special session, which dealt with reapportionment; and WHEREAS, many of the laws and judicial rulings which provided the foundation for the new state's government were enacted at Cahawba; and WHEREAS, during its service as the state's capital, Cahawba grew into a town of more than 1,000 residents, a place SJR8 of commerce with two newspapers and numerous inns, stores, and the first state bank, built in 1824; and WHEREAS, on December 13, 1825, the state Legislature voted to relocate the state capital to Tuscaloosa; and WHEREAS, now a property of the Alabama Historical Commission, the Old Cahawba Archeological Site continues to be an important resource for understanding Alabama's early history as a state; and WHEREAS, Alabama is currently engaged in a commemoration of the Bicentennial of Statehood, a three-year celebration of the people, places, and events that form our rich history; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That we do hereby recognize Cahawba as the first permanent capital of the State of Alabama. SJR8 President and Presiding Officer of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives SJR8 Senate 11-JAN-18 I hereby certify that the within Senate Joint Resolution originated in and was adopted by the Senate. Patrick Harris, Secretary. House of Representatives Adopted: 16-JAN-18 By: Senator Sanders