9781422286098

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Gulf States: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi

Muskogee) Confederacy was an alliance of town-dwelling peoples from various tribes. Other important tribes were the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Cherokee. The first Europeans to explore what is today Alabama were Spanish. Hernando de Soto’s 600-man force trekked through the area in 1539–1540. They wreaked consider- able havoc among the Indian popula- tion. More than 150 years would pass before a permanent European settle- ment had been established in present- day Alabama. In 1702, the French built a fort along the Mobile River, 27

part of the state, the low temperature is about 40º Fahrenheit (4º Celsius) and the high temperature reaches around 60ºF (16ºC). Average January tempera- tures in Huntsville, in northern Alabama, are about 10ºF cooler. In the summer, both cities experience average high temperatures of 85ºF (29ºC) or higher. Rainfall is abundant year round. Statewide, annual precipitation aver- ages about 58 inches (147 cm), making Alabama one of the wettest states. History Before the arrival of white settlers, various Indian groups occupied what is today Alabama. The Creek (or

The French built Fort Conde at Mobile in 1717. It helped to maintain French rule in the South and served as a military headquarters until 1763. Parts of the fort were rebuilt in 1976 as part of the national bicentennial celebration. Today, the restored fort functions as a museum.