2019 VULCAN HISTORICAL REVIEW 2019 VULCAN HISTORICAL REVIEW VOLUME 23 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE 04 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS ARTICLES ALABAMA HISTORY: AN EVOLUTION OF REPRESSION 13 The Forgotten Liberal Years: George Wallace’s Time as an Alabama State Representative by William Winner 22 Working Class Heroes: The Civil Rights Struggle for Black Economic Opportunity in Birmingham by Logan Barrett 36 Blood on the Great Seal of Alabama by Tammy Blue BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION 45 Avondale: A Neighborhood in Transition by Laura King 56 Graves Block: William Graves and the Paving Bricks of the South by Steve Filoromo POLICY AND GOVERNMENT DISILLUSIONMENT 63 Laws of the Land: An Expedited Survey of African American History and Legal Implications of Slavery Through 1865 by Kendra Bell 76 The Failure of the American Dream by William Winner Rethinking and Reclassifying the Timeline of America’s 85 War in Vietnam by McCallie L. Smith III 96 HISTORY THROUGH FILM History on the Silver Screen: A Film Review of Mary, Queen of Scots by Kendra Bell 99 Museo: Trafficking of Cultural Heritage by Steve Filoromo 101 ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND EDITORS VULCAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Volume 23 // 2019 2018 EDITORIAL STAFF FACULTY ADVISOR Laura Michaela King Dr. Andrew Baer Head Editor CO-SPONSORS Tierra Andrews The Linney Family Endowment Graphic Designer for The Vulcan Historical Review Journal EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Robert Palazzo, Dean of the College Logan Barrett of Arts and Sciences, UAB Alice Grissom The Department of History, UAB Kendra Bell Tammy Blue Steve Filoromo The Vulcan Historical Review is published annually Article photos courtesy of the Library of Congress, by the Chi Omicron Chapter (UAB) of Phi Alpha Birmingham Public Library Archives, and our authors. Theta National History Honor Society. The journal All students at the University of Alabama at is completely student-edited by undergraduate and Birmingham, including recent alumni, are encouraged graduate students at the University of Alabama at to submit research articles, book reviews, film reviews, Birmingham. essays, oral histories, historical fictions, or other works of historical interest to be considered for ©2019 Chi Omicron Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta publication. Submissions by any currently-enrolled National History Honor Society, the University of history undergraduate or graduate student from other Alabama at Birmingham. All rights reserved. No institutions are also welcome. Please send inquiries to: material may be duplicated or quoted without the express written permission of the author. Phi Alpha Theta Advisor The University of Alabama at Birmingham, its History Department HHB 360 departments, and its organizations disclaim any University of Alabama at Birmingham responsibility for statements in fact or opinion, made 1401 University Boulevard by contributors herein. Birmingham, Alabama 35294 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS he creation of the Vulcan Historical Review question the impact of industry on Birmingham T established an important tradition within the communities, especially after the industry’s downfall University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department as well as how Birmingham’s Civil Rights Movement of History, and for the other humanities, that has proved to be a fight for equal economic opportunity led to 23 years of historical scholarship. This year’s as much as for equal rights to the promises of the editorial board, comprised of both graduate and Declaration of Independence. A commonality found undergraduate students, remains nothing but grateful within many of these papers is the question of for the opportunity to become part of this tradition government and its response to issues, including the and for the chance to uphold everything the journal role of politics in shaping these government officials, has come to represent for the department and the who morph their ideologies to win political power. Chi Omicron Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta History The journal concludes with film reviews by two of the Honor Society. This volume comprises a set of unique board’s undergraduate editors. perspectives and questions that young historians Even with the dedicated work by the Vulcan Historical grapple with today. By dedicating our studies to the Review’s editorial board, the journal would not be past, our authors have explored this intersection possible without the assistance and support of between past traditions and present injustices to UAB History Department’s faculty and staff. Their bridge the gap in understanding both how we as dedication to us as students both in class and out a society have created these social conditions, as has led to this successful volume. We are forever well as if this understanding requires new evaluation grateful to our faculty advisor, Dr. Andrew Baer, for by exploring material with a modern perspective. his quick response and support to resolve challenging Examining these questions and sharing this work has situations, our new Department Chair, Dr. Jonathan allowed us, as editors and authors, to accomplish one Wiesen for taking time to cheer us on while coming of the most important goals of history: presenting into his new position, and Dr. Harriet E. Amos Doss scholarly research to question what we believe we for lending her expert editing advice. We also want know and then present our findings to challenge the to thank our graphic designer, Tierra Andrews, for understanding of others. Through this bold task, we returning for a second year to put a polishing and hope to honor the legacy of those who worked on the artistic touch on our work. A special thanks also to Vulcan Historical Review before us. our department secretary, Melanie Daily, for taking Our current issue opens with a co-authored piece care of the administrative needs of the journal and on the Alabama Bicentennial, establishing periods our previous head editor, Lance Ledbetter, for all of harrowing race relations and desperate economic we learned from his leadership. Finally, without our plight as well as the progress and transformation generous donors, the Vulcan Historical Review would since then. Many of the following papers focus on be impossible to publish. We thank the Department of similar points of transformation by discussing issues History for its continued support as well as Dr. Robert such as the lasting legacy of American slavery, Palazzo (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences) stretching into today. By evaluating the methods and and The Linney Family Endowment for its continued social consequences of the slave trade, the author support. We hope this collection of scholarship lives demonstrates how factors such as the stripping of up to the legacy and will continue to be a point of humanity led to an uncompromisingly difficult uphill pride for both UAB and the Department of History. battle, both economically and socially. Other papers 4 THE BICENTENNIAL AND BEYOND: LIFE AND LEGACY IN THE YELLOWHAMMER STATE by Kendra Bell and Steve Filoromo he year 2019 marks a significant milestone in T the history of Alabama. Two hundred years ago, Alabama was founded and placed into the framework of American history. This foundation would lead to many advancements in culture, economy, and several industries on a national and international scale. However, in the celebration of Alabama’s bicentennial by reviewing its history, there are dark times that transpired. In order to serve justice to those affected by these moments in time and to fully construct the historical perspective without ignoring the shortcomings and emphasizing just periods of growth, many of both moments of prosperity and those of shame will be presented. Of these include the prelude to Alabama, a survey of the Native Americans that blueprinted North American residency, the removal of Native Americans and the Creek Wars and how they adversely established official statehood, the establishment of Jim Crow and the spurn of the classical Civil Rights Movement, and the major developments of the space travel industry. By highlighting major cities within Alabama and Photo of mounds facing south-southeast, courtesy of Steve their major events or contributions, the story of how Filoromo. Moundville is located south of Tuscaloosa, in Alabama came to be comes to light. Whether these Moundville, Alabama. moments prove to be positive or negative, they have Cathedral Caverns, which has evidence showing site molded the first 200 years of the yellowhammer state use for thousands of years.1 Like most additional and laid the groundwork for years to come. contemporary states though, Alabamians have a Before the advent of statehood, Alabama found robust archaeology of lifeways of those who lived itself caught in the crossroads of many historical on the land before them. Recently researchers went developments. Rather than point out the colonial through old Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), ancestors as the state’s starting point, consideration Works Progress Administration (WPA), and Civilian of the Indigenous cultural innovations that take place Conservation Corps (CCC) records and artifacts, throughout the land’s vast history create a more only finding a pipe excavated before the dam built complete history. During the school years of many near Flint River that holds the earliest evidence for Alabamians, they are introduced to the enigmatic tobacco smoking in North America.2 Often times, mounds at Moundville, and while those provide a when people visit many of these public sites, they fail retrospective to the Mississippian