Continued industrial expansion in the s also spurred the rapid growth of unions, particularly among railroad workers, miners, and the building trades. Steel in , which brought financial resources to the city, and the completion of the lock-and-dam system on the Tombigbee and Warrior Rivers in , which provided Birmingham manufacturers with cheap water transportation for their goods all the way to Mobile.
Birmingham quickly became the transportation hub of the mid-South. Just as the city's economy was beginning to take off again, the stock market crashed in October , throwing thousands of residents out of work and prompting the Hoover administration to call Birmingham "the hardest hit city in the nation. Steel shut down its Birmingham mills and the city remained depressed for eight years.
Birmingham recovered from the Depression with the outbreak of World War II as the city's steel mills became an important part of the nation's arsenal. After the war, Birmingham diversified its economy with new industries that manufactured farm equipment, chemicals, byproducts used for road building, nails, wire, cement, cottonseed oil, and many other goods. With these new industries, along with Hayes International Aircraft and the launch of a modern medical complex, Birmingham in the s had the potential to soar into the s.
Instead, city officials and residents were faced with a civil rights struggle of epic proportions that left the city's national reputation in shambles and greatly hampered its ability to attract investors.
Sixteenth Street Church Bombing African Americans began moving into Birmingham to escape the white-owned farms where they had once toiled as slaves and later as sharecroppers. By African Americans comprised more than half of Birmingham's industrial workers. Working and living conditions were bad enough, but black citizens' lives were made more miserable by Birmingham's deeply entrenched system of segregation.
Nicknamed "Bombingham" for the many racially motivated bombings of black homes, the city became a focal point for the national civil rights struggle after the brutal treatment of the Freedom Riders in Fred Lee Shuttlesworth The city was then publicly shamed in the media by Police Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor 's use of fire hoses and police dogs to drive back thousands of youthful demonstrators in early May Following several weeks of demonstrations, civil rights and business leaders reached an agreement that ended some of the segregationist barriers.
This spirit of good will was soon shattered by the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church , which claimed the lives of four young girls. That horrific event, more than anything else, prompted the passage of the Civil Rights Act of , which outlawed racial segregation in public accommodations in America.
Also, with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of , African Americans were increasingly able to participate in the city's civic and governmental affairs, culminating in the election of Richard Arrington Jr. In addition to the continued presence of several of the nation's largest steelmakers, including U. Steel, McWane, and Nucor, Birmingham is now a center of bioscience and technology development and the home to some of the nation's top construction and engineering firms.
The Birmingham metropolitan area is Alabama's largest commercial center and has become one of the nation's largest banking centers.
Beginning in the mids, commercial construction in the downtown area gave the city an impressive modern skyline. Between and , Larry Langford, who was then mayor of Birmingham, and six former members of the Jefferson County Commission were convicted of a variety of corruption charges, including bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud, and money-laundering.
On January 17, , the U. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of Langford's conviction. Birmingham is the state's most populous city, with an estimated population of ,, according to Census estimates.
Of Birmingham's total population, Alabama Power Building Detail UAB, which boasts one of the finest medical and research centers in the nation, is by far the city's largest employer, with 18, employees. According to Census estimates, the workforce in Birmingham was divided among the following industrial categories:. Steel, McWane, and Nucor and is also host to bioscience and technology development and some of the nation's top construction and engineering firms.
When Leland visited Birmingham in there were people in houses, one main street with a number of side streets, markets and many smiths who were selling goods all over England.
By supplying the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War with swords, pikes and armour, Birmingham emerged with a strong reputation as a metal working centre. By the population had grown to 23, and manufacturing business thrived.
By the time of the Industrial Revolution Birmingham had become the industrial and commercial centre of the Midlands. Please enable javascript in your browser settings to view virtual breadcrumbs marking the 9 most recent pages you have visited on birmingham. The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 9 most recent pages you have visited on birmingham.
If you want to remember a specific page forever click the pin in the top right corner and we will be sure not to replace it. Hide this message. Birmingham is seventh among the largest US metros for percent increase in millennial residents ages The Alabama Legislature passed an act to incorporate the city on December 19, Birmingham was named as one of the most affordable cities for first-time homebuyers in the nation Lending Tree, and 1 of the 10 most affordable markets for renters Zillow, The Birmingham City Schools serves 23, students from K with 18 elementary schools, 10 K-8 schools, eight middle schools and seven high schools.
The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport offers flights to 26 airports and 23 cities. The Birmingham metropolitan area has more than technology companies employing more than 6, skilled workers. The city is home to Innovation Depot, in which startups are located throughout a sprawling ,square-foot complex — the largest in the Southeast.
Birmingham was voted the 1 Best City for Millennial Entrepreneurs Thumbtack, based on friendliness of local tax laws, licensing rules, and the regulatory environment. Birmingham has the highest per capita concentration of healthcare jobs nationwide. The city is the 12th largest banking center in the nation and third in the Southeast.
Birmingham is home to 18, skilled automotive workers — twice the US national average and 20, skilled metals and machinery workers. Covering events and issues from every neighborhood in Birmingham, we take you inside the biggest happenings in your community.
We are as strong as the steel that first built our economy, as we move forward to create better ways to live, work and play for our residents and visitors. Woodfin Iron ore, coal, and limestone defined Birmingham years ago. Population The city of Birmingham has a population of , U.
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