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SJR 8 - Enrolled - PDF
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
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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.
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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