The Birmingham Southern Railroad ( reporting mark BS ) was a short-line railroad in the Birmingham, Alabama , area. It ceased operating in 2012 when its assets were acquired by Watco 's Birmingham Terminal Railway .
106-635: The Birmingham Southern Railroad Company was founded on March 3, 1899. The line was originally built between 1878 from Birmingham to Pratt City to haul coal to the steel mills in Birmingham. The line was extended to Ensley in 1887. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the Southern Railway jointly purchased and operated the Birmingham Southern shortly after the Birmingham Southern's organization. The Birmingham Southern
212-407: A Wall Street crash in 1873. However, it began to develop shortly afterward at an explosive rate. In 1911, the town of Elyton, Alabama, and several other surrounding towns were absorbed into Birmingham. The start of the 20th century brought the substantial growth that gave Birmingham the nickname "The Magic City", as the downtown area developed from a low-rise commercial and residential district into
318-621: A 5% market share of deposits in Birmingham are Regions Financial Corporation , PNC Financial Services , Servisfirst Bank, and Wells Fargo . Nearly a dozen smaller banks have been headquartered in the Magic City, such as Superior Bancorp and Cadence Bank . As of 2009, the finance & banking sector in Birmingham employed 1,870 financial managers, 1,530 loan officers, 680 securities commodities and financial services sales agents, 380 financial analysts, 310 financial examiners, 220 credit analysts, and 130 loan counselors. In 2012, Birmingham
424-404: A busy grid of neoclassical mid-rise and high-rise buildings and busy streetcar lines. Between 1902 and 1912 four large office buildings were constructed at the intersection of 20th Street, the central north–south spine of the city, and 1st Avenue North, which connected the warehouses and industrial facilities stretching along the east–west railroad corridor. This impressive group of early skyscrapers
530-409: A daily mean temperature of 43.8 °F (6.6 °C). There are an average of 47 days annually with a low at or below freezing, and 1.4 days where the high does not surpass freezing. July has a daily mean temperature of 81.1 °F (27.3 °C). Highs reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 65 days per year and 100 °F (38 °C) on 2. Precipitation is relatively well-distributed throughout
636-513: A focus on mining, the iron and steel industry , and railroading . Birmingham was named after Birmingham in Warwickshire , England , one of the UK 's major industrial cities. Most of the original settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry . The city may have been planned as a place where cheap, non-unionized, and often African-American labor from rural Alabama could be employed in
742-725: A governor. Massachusetts and New Hampshire also shared a governor for some time. The beginnings of the American Revolutionary War would be in the Northeast, specifically in Massachusetts. The Battles of Lexington and Concord in northeast of Boston would be the first military engagements between the Revolutionaries and the British. Many of the major battles of the revolution would be fought in
848-412: A key role in the economy. Steel products manufacturers American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) and McWane are based in the city. Several of the nation's largest steelmakers, including CMC Steel , U.S. Steel , and Nucor , also have a major presence in Birmingham. In recent years, local steel companies have announced about $ 100 million worth of investment in expansions and new plants in and around
954-478: A major component of the railroading industry, where rails and railroad cars were both manufactured in Birmingham. In the field of railroading, the two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South were nearby Atlanta and Birmingham, beginning in the 1860s and continuing through to the present day. The economy diversified during the later half of the twentieth century. Though the manufacturing industry maintains
1060-424: A major medical and research center. In 1971, Birmingham celebrated its centennial with a round of public-works improvements, including an upgrade of Vulcan Park and the construction of a major downtown convention center containing a 2,500-seat symphony hall, theater, 19,000-seat arena, and exhibition halls. Birmingham's banking institutions enjoyed considerable growth as well and new skyscrapers started to appear in
1166-518: A major nexus in Birmingham, supported by a skyscraper downtown as well as several large operational center buildings and a data center. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama , Protective Life , ProAssurance , and Liberty National are headquartered in Birmingham. Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast , the East Coast , or
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#17327912903141272-510: A massive assault on the Jim Crow system . In April and May daily sit-ins and mass marches organized and led by movement leader James Bevel were met with police repression, tear gas , attack dogs, fire hoses, and arrests. More than 3,000 people were arrested during these protests, almost all of them high-school age children. These protests were ultimately successful, leading not only to desegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham but also
1378-718: A secondary severe weather season. Birmingham is located in the heart of a Tornado Alley known as the Dixie Alley due to the high frequency of tornadoes in Central Alabama. The greater Birmingham area has been hit by two F5 tornadoes; one in Birmingham's northern suburbs in 1977 , and second in the western suburbs in 1998 . The area was hit by an EF4 tornado which was part of a larger outbreak in April 2011 . In late summer and fall months, Birmingham experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes due to its proximity to
1484-470: A smaller ridge, flanks the city to the north and divides Jones Valley from much more rugged land to the north. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad (now CSX Transportation ) enters the valley through Boyles Gap, a prominent gap in the long low ridge. Ruffner Mountain , located due east of the heart of the city, is home to Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, one of the largest urban nature reserves in
1590-615: A string of racially motivated bombings that earned Birmingham the derisive nickname "Bombingham". A watershed in the civil rights movement occurred in 1963 when Shuttlesworth requested that Martin Luther King Jr. , and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which Shuttlesworth had co-founded, come to Birmingham, where King had once been a pastor, to help end segregation. Together they launched "Project C" (for "Confrontation"),
1696-500: A strong presence in Birmingham, other businesses and industries such as banking , telecommunications , transportation, electrical power transmission, medical care, college education , and insurance have risen in stature. Mining in the Birmingham area is no longer a major industry with the exception of coal mining. Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and
1802-409: Is a city in the north central region of Alabama , United States. Birmingham is the county seat of Jefferson County , Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2023 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 196,910 down 2% from the 2020 census , making it Alabama's second-most populous city after Huntsville . The broader Birmingham metropolitan area had a 2020 population of 1,115,289, and
1908-559: Is also a Unitarian Universalist church in the Birmingham area. The main campus of the Church of the Highlands is located in Birmingham. The church operates schools and churches across Alabama. From Birmingham's early days onward, the steel industry has always played a crucial role in the local economy. Though the steel industry no longer has the same prominence it once held in Birmingham, steel production and processing continue to play
2014-585: Is also one of the largest banking centers in the US. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to two Fortune 500 companies: Regions Financial and Vulcan Materials Company , along with multiple other Fortune 1000 companies. In higher education , Birmingham has been the location of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (formerly the Medical College of Alabama) and
2120-580: Is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham , covering 39 counties and comprising 75 parishes and missions as well as seven Catholic high schools and nineteen elementary schools; there are also two Eastern Catholic parishes in the Birmingham area. The Catholic television network EWTN is headquartered in metropolitan Birmingham. There are three Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Metro Area as well, Greek, Russian and American. There
2226-486: Is now the area's largest employer and the second largest in Alabama with a workforce of about 18,750 as of 2011. Health care services providers HealthSouth , Surgical Care Affiliates and Diagnostic Health Corporation are headquartered in the city. Caremark Rx was also founded in the city. Birmingham is a leading banking center and is the location of the headquarters of Regions Financial Corporation . Banks with over
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#17327912903142332-576: Is the largest metropolitan area in Alabama as well as the 47th-most populous in the US. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South , Piedmont , and Appalachian regions of the nation. Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post– Civil War Reconstruction period , through the merger of three pre-existing farm towns, notably, Elyton . It grew from there, annexing many more of its smaller neighbors, into an industrial and railroad transportation center with
2438-477: Is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in close proximity. From the start the new city was planned as a great center of industry. The founders, organized as the Elyton Land Company, borrowed the name of Birmingham, one of England's main industrial cities, to advertise that point. The growth of the planned city was impeded by an outbreak of cholera and
2544-509: The 2010 U.S. census : In the 2000 census , there were 242,820 people, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families living in Birmingham. The population density was 1,619.7 inhabitants per square mile (625.4/km ). There were 111,927 housing units at an average density of 746.6 per square mile (288.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 62.46% Black , 35.07% White , 0.17% Native American , 0.80% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.62% from other races , and 0.83% from two or more races . 1.55% of
2650-496: The 2020 U.S. census , the population of the region was 57,609,148, representing 17.38% of the nation's total population. With an average of 345.5 people per square mile, the Northeast is 2.5 times as densely populated as the second-most dense region, the South . Since the last century, the U.S. population has been shifting away from the Northeast and Midwest toward the South and West . The region's racial composition as of 2020
2756-830: The American Northeast ) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau . Located on the Atlantic coast of North America , the region borders Canada to its north, the Southern United States to its south, the Midwestern United States to its west, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The Northeast is one of the four regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau for
2862-635: The Appalachian foothills – see Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians ) running from north-east to south-west. The valley is drained by small creeks (Village Creek, Valley Creek) which flow into the Black Warrior River . The valley was bisected by the principal railroad corridor, along which most of the early manufacturing operations began. Red Mountain lies immediately south of downtown. Many of Birmingham's television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. The "Over
2968-666: The Atlantic coastal plain , which extends south to the southern tip of Florida . The coastal plain areas include Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Long Island in New York, and most of New Jersey , and are generally low and flat with sandy soil and marshy land. The highlands, including the Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains, are heavily forested, ranging from rolling hills to summits greater than 6,000 feet (1,800 m), and pocked with many lakes. The highest peak in
3074-770: The Battle of Yorktown in Virginia. The idea of an independent United States of America, with the designs of its government would be created primarily in the Northeast in a series of declarations, constitutions, and documents. The Continental Congresses would meet in Philadelphia, which would produce the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation . Following the American Revolution,
3180-585: The COVID-19 pandemic . After the 2020 census, Birmingham lost its long-standing status as Alabama's largest city, with Huntsville overtaking Birmingham in total population, though Birmingham remains the state's largest metropolitan area. Birmingham hosted the 2022 World Games in July 2022. In September 2024 a mass shooting occurred in Birmingham, killing four people. Birmingham occupies Jones Valley, flanked by long parallel mountain ridges (the tailing ends of
3286-735: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 . While imprisoned for having taken part in a nonviolent protest, Dr. King wrote the now famous April 16 Letter from Birmingham Jail , a defining treatise in his cause against segregation. Birmingham is also known for the September 15 incident, in which four black girls were killed by a bomb planted at the 16th Street Baptist Church . The event would inspire the African-American poet Dudley Randall 's opus, " The Ballad of Birmingham ", as well as jazz musician John Coltrane 's song "Alabama". In 1998
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3392-564: The English colonial empire . The territory became the colonies of New York and New Jersey . New Jersey was originally split into East Jersey and West Jersey until the two were united as a royal colony in 1702. New England played a prominent role in early American education. Starting in the 17th century, the larger towns in New England opened grammar schools , the forerunner of the modern high school . The first public school in
3498-511: The Mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This definition has been essentially unchanged since 1880 and is widely used as a standard for data tabulation. The U.S. Census Bureau has acknowledged the obvious limitations of this definition and the potential merits of a proposal created after the 1950 census, that would include changing regional boundaries to include Delaware , Maryland , and Washington, D.C. with
3604-530: The Shelby County School System to form their own school systems. Some argue that the region suffers from having so many suburbs because companies can receive large incentives to move a short distance to another city, with no net gain in the area's economy. Birmingham suburbs (in order of population, 2020 US census): Birmingham has a humid subtropical climate , characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall. January has
3710-429: The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry since 1947. In 1969 the University of Alabama at Birmingham was established, one of three main campuses of the University of Alabama System . Birmingham is also home to two private institutions: Samford University and Miles College . Birmingham was also home to Birmingham-Southern College , before its closure in 2024. Between these colleges and universities,
3816-525: The capital of the newly formed United States would move around in the states of Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and New York . It was based in New York City from 1785 until 1790, when it was moved to Congress Hall in Philadelphia , where it remained for a decade, until 1800, when the construction of the new national capital of Washington, D.C. was completed. The Constitutional Convention
3922-494: The humid subtropical zone ( Cfa/Do ) begins at Martha's Vineyard and extreme SW Rhode Island and extends southwestward down the coastal plain to central and southern Maryland. The oceanic climate zone ( Cfb/Do ) only exists on Block Island , Nantucket , and the far coastal islands of Maine. It is the only area of the Northeast where all months average between 0 and 22 °C (32 and 72 °F). Cape Cod borders this zone and warm-summer humid continental ( Dfb/Dc ). As of
4028-567: The 17th century. The cultural area, known as the " Northeastern Woodlands ", in addition to covering the entire Northeast U.S., also covered much of what is now Canada and others regions of what is now the eastern United States . Among the many tribes inhabiting this area were those that made up the Iroquois nations and the numerous Algonquian peoples . In the United States of the 21st century, 18 federally recognized tribes reside in
4134-603: The 1930s hit Birmingham especially hard as sources of capital that were fueling the city's growth rapidly dried up at the same time that farm laborers, driven off the land, made their way to the city in search of work. New Deal programs put many city residents to work in WPA and CCC programs, making important contributions to the city's infrastructure and artistic legacy, including such key improvements as Vulcan's tower and Oak Mountain State Park . The wartime demand for steel and
4240-519: The 1960s. New York state lost its claim to being the most populated state after it was surpassed by California in the 1970s. Some Northeastern cities, including New York City, have recovered from its decline in the mid-20th century. Many new information and service industries have risen in the northeast, which has led to a boom in the 21st century in some cities in the Northeast like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Some other cities like Hartford , Syracuse, and Buffalo still are declining though in
4346-468: The 21st century, a large industrial decline in the Northeast resulted in a depopulation of many Northeastern cities, many of which had not yet recovered from it into the 21st century. This led to the rise of programs of urban renewal and demolition of large parts of Northeastern cities during the mid and late 20th century. There has also been a large population shift to the Sun Belt states starting in
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4452-471: The 21st century. Hurricane Sandy would impact much of the northeast in 2012, severely damaging much of the coast and causing flooding inland. The hurricane would directly impact New Jersey and caused large amounts of flooding in New York City. Although the first settlers of New England were motivated by religion, since the 21st century, New England had become one of the least religious parts of
4558-599: The American involvement in both World Wars, the Northeast would become a large base of war production, with the Brooklyn Naval Yard producing many navy ships. Many worker strikes would occur in the states, including the Homestead strike in 1892. Many of these cities would see a peak population and industrial output in the aftermath of World War II in the 1950s. Starting in the 1950s and continuing into
4664-595: The Appalachians partially protect these locations from the extreme cold coming from the west and the interior of North America. The basic climate of the Northeast can be divided into a colder and snowier interior, including western Maryland, most of Pennsylvania, most of North Jersey , Upstate New York , and most of New England, and a milder coastal plain region from Cape Cod and southern Rhode Island southward, including Long Island , Southern Connecticut , New York City , central and southern New Jersey , part of
4770-583: The Birmingham Pledge, written by local attorney James Rotch, was introduced at the Martin Luther King Unity Breakfast. As a grassroots community commitment to combating racism and prejudice, it has since then been used for programs in all fifty states and in more than twenty countries. In the 1970s, urban-renewal efforts focused around the development of the University of Alabama at Birmingham , which developed into
4876-679: The Birmingham Southern access to Mobile, Alabama , via the barge lines of the Warrior River . The Barge Line Railroad track was formerly owned by the Southern Railway. In 1988, the Birmingham Southern was sold to Transtar , the transportation subsidiary of United States Steel. In 1989, United States Steel sold Transtar and Transtar became a privately held company specializing in the operation of short line railroads and barge lines that primarily serve United States Steel and its successors. On May 17, 2007, Birmingham Southern Railroad
4982-458: The Birmingham area and was felt in the neighboring states and as far as the Carolinas. The 2003 Alabama earthquake centered in northeastern Alabama (magnitude 4.6–4.9) was also felt in Birmingham, Atlanta, Tennessee , Kentucky , and both Carolina states. In the 2020 United States census , there were 200,733 people, 93,300 households, and 46,816 families living in Birmingham. According to
5088-479: The Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, law, engineering, and nursing. Birmingham is also the headquarters of the Southeastern Conference , one of the major U.S. collegiate athletic conferences. Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near
5194-639: The Central Gulf Coast. The record high temperature is 107 °F (42 °C), set on July 29, 1930. The record low is −10 °F (−23 °C), set on February 13, 1899 . The Birmingham area is not prone to frequent earthquakes; its historical activity level is 59% less than the US average. Earthquakes are generally minor and the Birmingham area can feel an earthquake from the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone. The magnitude 5.1 Irondale earthquake in 1916 caused damage in
5300-534: The English colonies was the Boston Latin School , founded in 1635. In 1636, the colonial legislature of Massachusetts founded Harvard College , the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. In 1681, William Penn , who wanted to give Quakers a land of religious freedom, founded Pennsylvania and extended freedom of religion to all citizens. Penn strongly desired access to
5406-483: The General Assembly ran county governments as extensions of the state through their legislative delegations. In the 1950s and 1960s Birmingham received national and international attention as a center of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans. Locally the movement's activists were led by Fred Shuttlesworth , a fiery preacher who became legendary for his fearlessness in the face of violence, notably
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#17327912903145512-568: The Mid-Atlantic states, but ultimately decided that "the new system did not win enough overall acceptance among data users to warrant adoption as an official new set of general-purpose State groupings. The previous development of many series of statistics, arranged and issued over long periods of time on the basis of the existing State groupings, favored the retention of the summary units of the current regions and divisions." The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed in 1994 that it would continue to "review
5618-589: The Mountain" area, including Shades Valley, Shades Mountain and beyond, was largely shielded from the industrial smoke and rough streets of the industrial city. This is the setting for Birmingham's more affluent suburbs of Mountain Brook , Vestavia Hills , Homewood , and Hoover . South of Shades Valley is the Cahaba River basin, one of the most diverse river ecosystems in the United States. Sand Mountain ,
5724-613: The Northeast United States as having a total area of 181,324 sq mi (469,630 km ), making it the smallest region of the United States by total area. Anthropologists recognize the "Northeastern Woodlands" as one of the cultural regions that existed in the Western Hemisphere at the time of European colonists in the 15th and later centuries. Most did not settle in North America until
5830-529: The Northeast and Midwest and would become prominent towards the mid-19th century, these groups advocated the shrinking or banning of slavery in the United States. Some Northeastern states still had small amounts of slaves into the 1850s, though some would ban it during the decade. The election of 1860 led to the start of the Civil War; southern states seceded from the United States in late-1860 and early-1861. States like Maryland and Delaware would remain in
5936-522: The Northeast is Mount Washington in New Hampshire at 6,288 feet (1,917 m). As of 2012 , forest-use covered approximately 60% of the Northeastern states, including Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., about twice the national average. About 11% was cropland and another 4% grassland pasture or range. There is also more urbanized land in the Northeast (12%) than any other region in
6042-505: The Northeast, and frequent (but brief) thundershowers are common on hot summer days. In winter, the subtropical high retreats southeastward, and the polar jet stream moves south bringing colder air masses from up in Canada and more frequent storm systems to the region. Winter often brings both rain and snow as well as surges of both warm and cold air. In the southern part of the Northeast from coastal Rhode Island southwest to eastern Maryland,
6148-584: The Northeast. For the most part, the people of the Northeastern Woodlands, on whose lands European fishermen began camping to dry their codfish in the early 1600s, lived in villages, especially after being influenced by agricultural traditions of the Ohio and Mississippi valley societies. All of the U.S. states making up the Northeastern region were among the original Thirteen Colonies , though Maine and Vermont were part of other colonies before
6254-580: The Northeast. The British would evacuate Boston in early-1776 and would move to capture New York City . The revolutionaries were pushed to the Delaware River before suddenly moving forward against the British in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton . A stalemate was reached in 1778, between the British and American Revolutionaries and continued until the end of the war in 1783. The war would move to southern states and eventually conclude with
6360-719: The Northeastern United States in somewhat different ways. The Association of American Geographers divides the Northeast into two divisions: "New England", which is the same as the Census Bureau; and it has the same "Middle States" but adds Delaware. Similarly, the Geological Society of America defines the Northeast as these same states but with the addition of Maryland and the District of Columbia . The narrowest definitions include only
6466-471: The Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware Valley including Philadelphia , Delaware , and most of Maryland . In the latter region the hardiness zone ranges from 7a to 8a. Annual mean temperatures range from the low-to-mid 50s F from Maryland to southern Connecticut, to the 40s F in most of New York State, New England, and northern Pennsylvania. Most of the Northeast has a humid continental climate ( Dfa/Dfb/occasional Dfc/Dc ). The northernmost portion of
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#17327912903146572-483: The U.S. Many parks on a state and national level cover the inland parts of the region. Large parks include the Adirondack Park in northeastern New York, Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, White Mountain Forest in northern New Hampshire, Baxter State Park in northern Maine, Acadia National Park on the eastern coast of Maine, Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania, and Catskill Park in southern New York. There are also some parks closer to
6678-466: The United States (western and Northeastern states) and the Confederacy (southeastern states). The admission of Maine as a free state in exchange for Missouri becoming a slave state as part of the Missouri Compromise in 1820 would settle the final boundaries of the Northeastern states. The Mason-Dixon line would be established as the border of slavery, following the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware/Maryland. Abolitionist movements would start in
6784-578: The United States became independent in the American Revolution . The two cultural and geographic regions that form parts of the Northeastern region have distinct histories. The first European explorer known to have explored the Atlantic shoreline of the Northeast since the Norse was Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. His ship La Dauphine explored the coast from what is now known as Florida to New Brunswick. The first Europeans to settle and colonize New England were Pilgrims from England , who landed in present-day Massachusetts in 1620. The Pilgrims arrived on
6890-453: The United States during the war, conflicts did arise, like the New York draft riots in 1863. The war would end in 1865 with the United States taking back control of Southern states. Following the Civil War, the Northeast would see a large economic boom and would become one of the most industrialized regions in the world. Many technological innovations would be made in the Northeast during this time. The Second Industrial Revolution would see
6996-546: The United States. The Southern Baptist Convention has 673 congregations and 336,000 members in the Birmingham Metro area. The United Methodists have 196 congregations and 66,759 members. The headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in America had been in Birmingham until the early 1980s; the PCA has more than 30 congregations and almost 15,000 members in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area with megachurches like Briarwood Presbyterian Church . The National Baptist Convention has 126 congregations and 69,800 members. The city
7102-442: The United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.9 square miles (393 km ), of which, 149.9 square miles (388 km ) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km ) (1.34%) is water. Most of the metropolitan area lies outside of the city itself. In 2007, the metropolitan area was made up of 7 counties, 102 cities, and 21 school districts. Since then Alabaster and Pelham have broken away from
7208-587: The United States. The War of 1812 would see less fighting in the Northeast and instead more fighting in western and southern areas. A failed invasion of Canada and the occupation of Maine would be some of the major conflicts during the war. The war would end in 1815 and most of the Northeast has not seen any major conflict since then. The American Industrial Revolution was launched in Blackstone Valley in Rhode Island and Massachusetts , where textile mills spread across New England, and in eastern Pennsylvania , where coal, steel, and industrialization launched
7314-510: The United States. In a 2009 Gallup survey, less than half of residents in Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , and Vermont reported religion as an important part of their daily life. In a 2010 Gallup survey, less than 30% of residents in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts reported attending church weekly, giving them the lowest church attendance among U.S. states. The vast area from central Virginia to northern Maine , and from western Pennsylvania , from Pittsburgh in
7420-451: The area became known as New Netherland . In 1625, the city of New Amsterdam (the location of present-day New York City) was designated the capital of the province. The Dutch New Netherland settlement along the Hudson River and, for a time, the New Sweden settlement along the Delaware River divided the English settlements in the north and the south. In 1664, Charles II of England formally annexed New Netherland and incorporated it into
7526-419: The city center for the first time since the 1920s. These projects helped diversify the city's economy but did not prevent the exodus of many of the city's residents to nearby independent suburbs. In 1979, Birmingham elected Dr. Richard Arrington Jr. as its first African-American mayor. The population inside Birmingham's city limits has fallen over the past few decades, due in large part to " white flight " from
7632-529: The city of Birmingham proper to surrounding suburbs. The city's formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, has declined from 57.4 percent in 1970 to 21.1 percent in 2010. From its highest population of 340,887 in 1960, the population was down to 200,733 in 2020, a loss of about 41 percent. That same period saw a corresponding rise in the populations of the suburban communities of Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Alabaster, and Gardendale, none of which were incorporated as municipalities until after 1950. In 2006,
7738-586: The city's steel mills and blast furnaces, giving it a competitive advantage over industrial cities in the Midwest and Northeast . From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was a primary industrial center of the South . The pace of Birmingham's growth during the period from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames The Magic City and The Pittsburgh of the South . Much like Pittsburgh , Birmingham's major industries were iron and steel production, plus
7844-656: The city's visitors bureau selected "the diverse city" as a new tag line for the city. In 2011, the Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham was named as a 2011 America's Great Place by the American Planning Association. In 2015, the International World Game Executive Committee selected Birmingham over Lima, Peru and Ufa, Russia , for the 2021 World Games, but the event was delayed a year due to
7950-439: The city. Vulcan Materials Company , a major provider of crushed stone, sand, and gravel used in construction, is based in Birmingham. In the 1970s and 1980s, Birmingham's economy was transformed by investments in bio-technology and medical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and its adjacent hospital. The UAB Hospital is a Level I trauma center providing health care and breakthrough medical research. UAB
8056-510: The collection and analysis of statistics. The Census Bureau defines the region as including the six New England states of Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont , and three northern Mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey , New York , and Pennsylvania . The region is home to the Northeast megalopolis , which includes many of the nation's largest metropolitan areas, including Boston , New York City , and Philadelphia . The megalopolis makes up 67% of
8162-555: The components of the regions and divisions to ensure that they continue to represent the most useful combinations of states and state equivalents." Many organizations and reference works follow the Census Bureau's definition for the region. In the history of the United States, the Mason–Dixon line between Pennsylvania ( the North ) and Maryland ( the South ) traditionally divided the regions, but in modern times, various entities define
8268-512: The decennial census, the state legislature did not undertake this until the early 1970s, when forced by a federal court case to enforce " one man, one vote ". In addition, the geographic basis of the senate, which gave each county one seat, gave undue influence to rural counties. Representatives of rural counties also had disproportionate power in the state house, and failed to provide support for infrastructure and other improvements in developing urban population centers such as Birmingham. At this time,
8374-482: The largest soft-drink bottlers in the United States, each with more than $ 500 million in sales per year, are located in Birmingham. The Buffalo Rock Company , founded in 1901, was formerly a maker of just ginger ale , but now it is a major bottler for the Pepsi Cola Company . Coca-Cola Bottling Company United , founded in 1902, is the third-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S. AT&T has
8480-767: The nation's manufacturing sector. After the end of the War of 1812, industry boomed in the Northeast in the early and middle parts of the 19th century. With the construction of railroad and canals crossing the northeast and the rise of western territories and resources from the south, the Northeast experienced the development of new industries and a fast-growing population. Many of the coastal cities, including Boston , New York City , and Philadelphia , served as ocean trade ports for American goods. Cities, including Allentown , Buffalo , Pittsburgh , Rochester , and Syracuse , were settled and emerged as major industrial centers. By 1860, New York City, based on its present-day boundaries,
8586-405: The northeast grow massively, even more so than before the Civil War. Many cities in the Northeast would explode in population, with cities like Philadelphia and New York climbing over one million people, while other cities like Buffalo, Boston, and Pittsburgh would rise above half a million during this time. New York City eventually grew to become one of the largest cities in the world by 1900. With
8692-566: The planned crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads, including land formerly a part of the Benjamin P. Worthington plantation. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre & Allen. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel. Birmingham
8798-433: The population was under the age of 18, 11.1% was from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 31,898, and the median income for a family was $ 38,776. Males had a median income of $ 36,031 versus $ 30,367 for females. The city's per capita income
8904-437: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 98,782 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In Birmingham, 25.0% of
9010-446: The post-war building boom gave Birmingham a rapid return to prosperity. Manufacturing diversified beyond the production of raw materials. Major civic institutions such as schools, parks and museums, were able to expand their scope. Despite the growing population and wealth of the city, its residents were markedly underrepresented in the state legislature. Although the state constitution required redistricting in accordance with changes in
9116-442: The precipitation that falls in the summer are from thunderstorms, most of which occur in the afternoon and evening hours. The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable as cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season (primarily October) features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but November and early December represent
9222-517: The region's total population of 57,609,148. The gross domestic product of the region was $ 5.1 trillion as of 2022 and contains some of the most developed states based on the Human Development Index , with every state with the exception of Maine above the national average. It is also the most densely populated region in the United States, with 320 people per square mile (120 people/km ). The U.S. Census Bureau defines
9328-474: The region. The climate of the Northeastern United States varies from northernmost state of Maine to its southernmost state in Maryland . The region's climate is influenced by its positional western to eastern flow of weather in the middle latitudes in the United States. Summers are normally warm in northern areas to hot in southern areas. In summer, the building Bermuda High pumps warm and sultry air toward
9434-587: The revolution the Northeast would see small skirmishes like the Whiskey Rebellion in western parts of Pennsylvania. Many northeastern states would continue trading with the British and other European powers. Tensions between the United States and Europe (specifically Britain) would sour in the lead up to the War of 1812 . This caused certain trade merchants to meet in Hartford to propose succeeding from
9540-639: The sea for the Province of Pennsylvania and leased what then came to be known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware" from the Duke . Penn established representative government and briefly combined his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682. By 1704, the province of Pennsylvania had grown so large that their representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower Counties and
9646-484: The ship Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony so they could practice religion freely. Ten years later, a larger group of Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston to form Massachusetts Bay Colony . In 1636, colonists established Connecticut Colony and Providence Plantations . Providence was founded by Roger Williams , who was banished by Massachusetts for his beliefs in freedom of religion, and it
9752-679: The shore, though these are usually smaller and squeezed in-between urbanized areas. These include the Palisades Park in New Jersey, Fire Island in Long Island, and the Cape Cod shoreline in Massachusetts. The Northeast has 72 National Wildlife Refuges , encompassing more than 500,000 acres (780 sq mi; 2,000 km ) of habitat and designed to protect some of the 92 different threatened and endangered species living in
9858-555: The states of New England. Other more restrictive definitions include New England and New York as part of the Northeast United States, but exclude Pennsylvania and New Jersey. States beyond the Census Bureau definition are included in Northeast Region by various other entities: While most of the Northeastern United States lie in the physiographic region of the Appalachian Highlands , some are also part of
9964-433: The two groups of representatives began meeting on their own, one at Philadelphia , and the other at New Castle, Delaware . Penn and his heirs remained proprietors of both and always appointed the same person Governor for their province of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. The fact that Delaware and Pennsylvania shared the same governor was not unique. From 1703 to 1738, both New York and New Jersey shared
10070-580: The union, even with slavery still legal. For the first two years, the eastern theater of the war would remain in Virginia and Maryland, but in 1863 the war would reach its northeastern most extent in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania . The Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the Civil War, seeing the end of the Confederate push northwards. While all Northeastern states would remain in
10176-400: The west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east, have all been loosely grouped into the Northeast. The U.S. Census Bureau 's definition of the Northeast includes nine states: Maine , New York , New Jersey , Vermont , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , Connecticut , New Hampshire , and Pennsylvania . The region is often subdivided into New England , the six states east of New York state and
10282-493: The year, sometimes falling in the form of snow during winter. 10.3 inches (26.2 cm) fell on March 13, 1993, during the 1993 Storm of the Century , which established the highest daily snowfall, one-storm, and winter season total on record. Normal snowfall for 1981–2010 was 1.6 in (4.1 cm). For the same period, the median monthly snowfall for each month was zero. The summer months are hot, with high humidity. Most of
10388-445: Was $ 19,962. About 22.5% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.9% of those under the age of 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over. The Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies published data showing that in 2010, among metro areas with a greater than one million population, Birmingham had the second highest ratio of Christians, and the greatest ratio of Protestant adherents, in
10494-429: Was 64.42% white , 11.51% African American, 0.51% Native American, 7.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.17% from other races, and 8.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.27% of the population. There were 22,418,883 households and 14,189,719 families in 2021. Of the 22,418,883 households, 27.7% included children under the age of 18. In 2021, the region's the population's age distribution
10600-469: Was awarded a Gold E. H. Harriman Award in the S&;T Group for the railroad's 2006 safety record. On December 2, 2011, Watco announced plans to purchase the Birmingham Southern. The railroad was subsequently renamed Birmingham Terminal Railway; operations under the new name began on February 1, 2012. Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( / ˈ b ɜːr m ɪ ŋ h æ m / BUR -ming-ham )
10706-522: Was held in Philadelphia, where the new United States Constitution was drafted in 1787. 6 of the first 13 states to ratify the new constitution would be in the Northeast, with the last of the original 13, Rhode Island, ratifying the constitution in 1790. Vermont would be admitted in 1791 as the 14th state. The first Congress would convene in Federal Hall in New York City in March 1789. Following
10812-679: Was later sold to the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company , which in 1906 became a part of the United States Steel Corporation and remained a U.S.S. Corp. subsidiary until 1988. The railroad expanded its lines in the western industrial section of Jefferson County by 1910. In 1966, the Birmingham Southern acquired the 18-mile (29 km) Federal Barge Lines (also known as the Barge Line Railroad ) that ran from Ensley to Port Birmingham, giving
10918-484: Was nicknamed "The Heaviest Corner on Earth ". In 1916, Birmingham was hit by the Irondale earthquake , with a 5.1 magnitude. A few buildings in the area were slightly damaged. The earthquake was felt as far as Atlanta and neighboring states. While excluded from the best-paying industrial jobs, Black Americans joined the migration of residents from rural areas to the city for its opportunities. The Great Depression of
11024-606: Was the 9th largest banking hub in the United States by the amount of locally headquartered deposits. In 2014, Birmingham was the 10th largest banking center. Birmingham is a powerhouse of construction and engineering companies, including BE&K , Brasfield & Gorrie , Robins & Morton , and B.L. Harbert International which routinely are included in the Engineering News-Record lists of top design and international construction firms. Two of
11130-480: Was the first U.S. city to reach a population exceeding one million. Due to the settlement of the Midwest and Great Plains , agriculture would collapse in the Mid-Atlantic and New England, with many farms being abandoned by the end of the century, returning to rural forest. Conflicts with the south over the spread of slavery would become a large factor in the start of the American Civil War, between
11236-564: Was the first colony to guarantee all citizens freedom of worship. Anne Hutchinson , who was also banished by Massachusetts, formed the town of Portsmouth . Providence, Portsmouth and two other towns ( Newport and Warwick ) consolidated to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations . Henry Hudson explored the area of present-day New York in 1609 and claimed it for the Netherlands. His journey stimulated Dutch interest, and
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