The territory that today occupies the state of Alabama was inhabited by

the Indo-Americans of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes

(. After the discoveries of Juan Ponce de León and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de
Vaca, the entire current southeast of the United States was called Spanish
Florida (including the current states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama) The first expedition to enter
Alabama was the Spanish expedition of Hernando de Soto, in 1540, who
faced the natives led by Tascalusa at the battle of Mabila (present-day
Mobile County) Guido de las Bazares explored the coast in 1558, but it
was Tristán de Luna who attempted to create the first permanent
settlement in Mobile Bay. destroyed by a hurricane.
On March 3, 1817, the Mississippi Territory was partitioned, with the
eastern portion becoming the Alabama Territory. In August 1819, when
Spain, as a result of the Adams-Onís Treaty, ceded the entire territory to
the United States, Alabama adopted a constitution to become a state and
on December 14 of that year it was admitted as the twenty-second state
of the Union.
The state's last governors have been James E. Folsom Cullman (1993–
1995), who took office following the removal of Guy Hunt for ethical code
violation, Forrest "Fob" James Lee (1995–1999), and Don Siegelman, of
the Democratic Party, elected to office until 2003.
first Governor William Wyatt Bibb Democratic-Republican December 14,
1819 – July 10, 1820