num_pages: 464
description: This comprehensive new history of Mobile celebrates the rich heritageof Alabama's oldest city and commemorates the city's tricentennial from1702 to the present. Alabama's oldest city from the period of European settlement was foundedin 1702 by French naval officer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.Bienville named the settlement after the nearby Maubila Indians and situatedit on the west side of the protected harbor now called Mobile Bay on theGulf of Mexico. During the colonial period, Mobile was occupied successivelyby the French, British, and Spanish until it was seized by the Americansin 1813. From this point on, the city quickly evolved from a trading postinto a prosperous river port, thanks to the cotton production of antebellumBlack Belt plantations.After the defeat of the Confederacy, Mobile began to decline and Birminghamtook over as the economic leader of Alabama. During World War II, Mobileexperienced a second boom period as shipbuilding and defense industriesexpanded and flourished. At the turn of the 21st century, as it celebratesits tricentennial, Mobile remains an important American port city whoes economy has diversified to include oil, natural gas, and paper. The New History of Alabama's First City reassesses Mobile'splace in American history and celebrates its proud heritage. Recognizedscholars of Mobile history have collaborated to produce a highly readable,richly illustrated narrative that showcases the great range of influenceson this bustling maritime city. Published in cooperation with the MobileTricentennial Committee, this long-awaited book will be invaluable to historiansand general readers alike as it documents and interprets the first 300years of a great and vital American city.    
language: English
title: Mobile: The New History of Alabama's First City
titlecomplete: Mobile: The New History of Alabama's First City
ratings_count: 4
publisher: University Alabama Press