Alabama Governors

This collection of biographical essays, written by 34 noted historians and political scientists, chronicles the times, careers, challenges, leadership, and legacies of the 57 men and one woman who have served as the state's highest elected official. The book is organised chronologically into six sections that cover Alabama's years as a US territory and its early statehood, the 1840s through the Civil War and Reconstruction, the late nineteenth-century Bourbon era, twentieth-century progressive and wartime governors, the Civil Rights era and Heorge Wallace's period of influence, and recent chief executives in the post-Wallace era. The political careers of these 58 indivduals reflect the story of Alabama itself. Taken together, the essays provide a unified history of the state, with its recurring themes of race, federal-state relations, economic development, taxation, and education. Alabama Governors expertly delineates the decisions and challenges of the chief executives, their policy initiatives, their accomplishments and failures, and the lasting impact of their terms. The book also includes the true and sometimes scandalous anecdotes that pepper Alabama's storied history. Several of the state's early governors fought duels, one killed his wife's lover. This entirely updated and revised edition includes enlarged and enhanced images of each governor. Published as Alabama prepares for its sixty-fourth gubernatorial election Alabama Governors is certain to become an valuable resource for teachers, students, librarians, journalists and anyone interested in the colorful history of Alabama politics.