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72-528: Tuskegee ( / t ʌ ˈ s k iː ɡ i / tuh- SKEE -ghee ) is a city in Macon County , Alabama , United States . General Thomas Simpson Woodward , a Creek War veteran under Andrew Jackson , laid out the city and founded it in 1833. It became the county seat in the same year and it was incorporated in 1843. It is the most populous city in Macon County. At the 2020 census the population

144-572: A poll tax and literacy tests . In 1957, a total of 1000 voters were registered, with the 400 registered black voters nearly equaling the number of white voters. But in the city, African Americans outnumbered whites on a four-to-one basis; among them were many highly educated, professional African Americans working at the Tuskegee Institute and the Veterans Administration hospital. That year, without debate and against

216-455: A freedman would be born free, with full rights of citizenship. The Claudian Civil Service set a precedent whereby freedmen could be used as civil servants in the Roman bureaucracy . In addition, Claudius passed legislation concerning slaves, including a law stating that sick slaves abandoned by their owners became freedmen if they recovered. The emperor was criticized for using freedmen in

288-425: A household in the county was $ 21,180, and the median income for a family was $ 28,511. Males had a median income of $ 25,971 versus $ 21,773 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 13,714. About 26.80% of families and 32.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 43.80% of those under age 18 and 26.00% of those age 65 or over. Macon County has been overwhelmingly Democratic for most of

360-468: A slave was called manumissio , from manus , "hand" (in the sense of holding or possessing something), and missio , the act of releasing. After manumission , a slave who had belonged to a Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (libertas) , including the right to vote. A slave who had acquired libertas was known as a libertus ("freed person", feminine liberta ) in relation to his former master, who

432-531: Is a county located in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama . As of the 2020 census , the population was 19,532. Its county seat is Tuskegee . Its name is in honor of Nathaniel Macon , a member of the United States Senate from North Carolina . Developed for cotton plantation agriculture in the nineteenth century, the county is considered within the Black Belt of

504-517: Is a caricature of such a freedman. The term "Eastern slave trade" refers to the Arab slave trade that supplied the early Muslim conquests throughout the Arab - Muslim world from the 7th to the 20th centuries, peaking in the 18th and 19th centuries. This term, which covers the Arab-Muslim slave trade, is symmetrical with the term "Western slave trade", which refers to the triangular trade on

576-514: Is elected at-large to a four-year term and serves as mayor-pro tem. The duties of the mayor are to promote the city, communicate with residents, and preside over City Council meetings. As such, the position of mayor in Tuskegee is primarily ceremonial . Tuskegee is located in central Macon County at 32°25′53″N 85°42′24″W  /  32.43139°N 85.70667°W  / 32.43139; -85.70667 (32.431506, −85.706781). According to

648-580: The American Civil War . They supported the Confederacy during the war, supplying some warriors in the West, as they were promised their own state if the Confederacy won. After the end of the war, the U.S. required these tribes to make new peace treaties, and to emancipate their African slaves. They were required to offer full citizenship in their tribes to those freedmen who wanted to stay with

720-512: The Eurasian steppes . The offspring of Mamluks were regarded as Muslim freedmen, and hence excluded from the Arab-Muslim slave trade; they were known as the awlād al-nās ("sons of respectable people"), who either fulfilled scribal and administrative functions or served as commanders of the non-Mamluk ḥalqa troops, serving the ruling Arab and Ottoman dynasties in the Muslim world . In

792-641: The Horn of Africa , and the islands of the Indian Ocean . For centuries, Arab-Muslim slave traders took and transported an estimated 10 to 15 million native Africans to slavery throughout the Arab - Muslim world . They also enslaved Europeans (known as Saqaliba ), as well as Caucasian and Turkic peoples, from coastal areas of the Mediterranean Region , the Balkans , Central Asia , and

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864-491: The South from World War I. It attracted doctors from top schools, such as Dr. Toussaint Tourgee Tildon, a graduate of Harvard Medical School . He was one of the first six African-American doctors to work at the hospital; as director of the complex for 12 years (1946–1958), he achieved accreditation for a medical residency program at the hospital. He also worked to ensure accessibility for graduates to good medical positions in

936-654: The Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center was established, initially for the estimated 300,000 African-American veterans of World War I in the South, when public facilities were racially segregated. Twenty-seven buildings were constructed on the 464-acre campus. The city was the subject of a civil rights case, Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960), in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that

1008-544: The U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 17.3 square miles (44.9 km), of which 17.1 square miles (44.2 km) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km), or 1.56%, are water. According to the Köppen climate classification , Tuskegee has a humid subtropical climate (abbreviated Cfa ). Downtown Tuskegee includes aspects of history in Tuskegee/Macon County from the time of incorporation to

1080-488: The United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 613 square miles (1,590 km ), of which 609 square miles (1,580 km ) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km ) (0.7%) is water. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 19,532 people, 7,474 households, and 4,279 families residing in the county. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 21,452 people living in

1152-585: The United States Commission on Civil Rights . (See also United States Commission on Civil Rights .) Following passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 , activists made progress in registering black voters in the city. African Americans in Tuskegee and other Alabama cities had been largely disenfranchised after passage of a new state constitution in 1901, which included requirements that were discriminatory in practice, including

1224-858: The Western coasts of Africa that supplied the European colonization of the Americas , and which includes the Atlantic slave trade . The slaves of the Eastern slave trade came mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa , Northwestern Africa , Southern Europe , Slavic countries , the Caucasus , and the Indian subcontinent , and were imported by the Arab-Muslim slave traders into the Middle East and North Africa ,

1296-504: The county seat of rural Macon County, Tuskegee developed as its only city. In 1881, the young Booker T. Washington was hired to develop the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers on the grounds of a former plantation. It was founded to train teachers for the segregated school system and freedmen for self-sufficiency. Washington established a work-study program by which students practiced skills and trades. Over

1368-571: The history of the United States , the terms "freedmen" and "freedwomen" refer chiefly to former African slaves emancipated during and after the American Civil War by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . African slaves freed before the war (usually by individual manumissions , often in wills ) were generally referred to as "free Negroes" or "free Blacks". In addition, there

1440-539: The "Civil War Amendments" or the " Reconstruction Amendments ". To help freedmen transition from slavery to freedom, including a free labor market, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln created the Freedmen's Bureau , which assigned agents throughout the former Confederate states. The Bureau also founded schools to educate freedmen, both adults and children; helped freedmen negotiate labor contracts; and tried to minimize violence against freedmen. The era of Reconstruction

1512-539: The Confederacy —states in rebellion and not under the control of the Union —to be permanently free. It did not end slavery in the four border states that had stayed in the Union. African slavery elsewhere was abolished by state action or with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 , passed over the veto of U.S. President Andrew Johnson , gave

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1584-767: The Creek, following the US Congress' passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Creek were removed to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River . The new settlers brought slaves with them from eastern areas of the South or purchased them at the slave market in Montgomery, New Orleans or Mobile. They developed the county for large cotton plantations. In the first half of the twentieth century, thousands of African-Americans migrated out of

1656-654: The Imperial Courts. Some freedmen enjoyed enormous success and became quite wealthy. The brothers who owned House of the Vettii , one of the biggest and most magnificent houses in Pompeii , are thought to have been freedmen. A freedman who became rich and influential might still be looked down on by the traditional aristocracy as a vulgar nouveau riche . Trimalchio , a character in the Satyricon of Petronius ,

1728-498: The South via military districts enacted by the Reconstruction Acts ; they protected freedmen in voting polls and public facilities from violence and intimidation by white Southerners, which were common throughout the region. The Cherokee Nation , Choctaw Nation , Chickasaw Nation , Seminole Nation of Oklahoma , and Creek Nation were among those Native American tribes that held enslaved Africans before and during

1800-482: The South. Beginning in 1932, the school was the site of the now-infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972), started to test treatments of the disease . 600 African-American men became involved, being offered free medical care by the U.S. government for their participation, while being unwittingly tested for syphilis . With funding cut by the Great Depression , staff cut back on medication to treat

1872-513: The South. It has had a majority-black population since before the American Civil War . For thousands of years, this area was inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples . The historic tribes encountered by European explorers were the Creek people , descendants of the Mississippian culture . Macon County was established by European Americans on December 18, 1832, from land ceded by

1944-616: The US Supreme Court in 1960, with the ruling implemented in 1961. The court ruled that the gerrymandering of city boundaries was racially motivated and violated the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which states that "states were not insulated from federal judicial review when they jeopardized federally protected rights." The exclusionary gerrymandering was overturned and

2016-401: The US Supreme Court ruled against the state's action. The city boundaries were reinstituted, as reflected by the dramatic "increase" of population in the city recorded in 1970. The population in 1960, with the restored borders, was 7,240, according to the 1970 U.S. Census. Because of lack of economic opportunities in the largely rural area, both the city and rural county have lost population since

2088-521: The United Kingdom and Europe voluntarily, planning to settle in Australia, some as pastors and missionaries, others seeking to make a living by trade or farming. When convicts finished their sentence, they were freed and referred to as "freedmen" or "freed men". However, many of these who were freed wanted to claim the label "free men". But those who had come freely to Australia wanted to reserve

2160-516: The area, mostly from eastern Southern states. The planters brought or purchased enslaved African Americans to clear woods and develop cotton plantations . Invention of the cotton gin had made short-staple cotton profitable to process and it became the chief commodity crop of the Deep South through the 19th century. Short-staple cotton could be cultivated in the upland areas of Georgia . Alabama, Mississippi , Louisiana and Texas . Designated as

2232-455: The city was $ 24,251, and the median income for a family was $ 43,472. Males had a median income of $ 40,653 versus $ 26,631 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,471. About 22.2% of families and 31.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 9,395 people, 2,936 households, and 1,470 families residing in

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2304-494: The city. Tuskegee has one weekly newspaper, The Tuskegee News , which has operated since 1865. U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 80 pass through Tuskegee. State Route 81 goes north from the town. Four miles north up Route 81 is the interchange with Interstate 85 . A short distance beyond I-85 is the hamlet of Chehaw, where Southern Railway passenger trains made stops at the Western Railway of Alabama Depot. Into

2376-505: The community. The work of the TCA also had a huge emphasis on educating their communities on various civic duties . Though the existing support for the TCA was not often vocalized, many black community members wanted to challenge the political system that was present in Macon County. The group shed a light on the disparities in the numbers of black people applying for voter registration and those who were successful, even going as far as talking to

2448-512: The county to industrial cities in the North and Midwest for job opportunities, and the chance to escape legal segregation. Those who remained have struggled for employment in the mostly rural county, and population has declined by about one-third since 1950. Before 1983, Macon County was primarily known as the home of historic Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University , and its noted founder and first president, Booker T. Washington . According to

2520-563: The county was 84.64% Black or African American , 13.96% White , 0.16% Native American , 0.38% Asian , 0.13% from other races , and 0.73% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,950 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.70% were married couples living together, 25.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.10% were non-families. 33.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who

2592-525: The county. 82.6% were Black or African American , 15.5% White , 0.4% Asian , 0.1% Native American , 0.3% of some other race and 1.1% of two or more races . 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of the census of 2000, there were 24,105 people, 8,950 households, and 5,543 families living in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km ). There were 10,627 housing units at an average density of 17 units per square mile (6.6 units/km ). The racial makeup of

2664-400: The decades, the programs were expanded. This was later named the Tuskegee Institute. Graduate courses were added and it became Tuskegee University . Washington was known for his emphasis on education and self-improvement . The institute became known for stressing a practical education with work experience by students , to prepare them for the agricultural and mechanical work available in

2736-450: The development of hundreds of commercial products derived from regional crops, including peanuts and sweet potatoes . During World War II, Tuskegee and Tuskegee Institute were also home to the famed Tuskegee Airmen . This was the first squadron of African-American pilots trained in the U.S. Military for service in that war. Tuskegee University in the 21st century is a center of excellence for African-American education. The heart of

2808-431: The disease and studied the effects of untreated syphilis on patients and their sexual partners . Those in the study who had syphilis were not told, nor were they informed that treatment was available for their disease, even after antibiotics had been developed. One of the most famous teachers at Tuskegee was George Washington Carver , whose name is synonymous with innovative research into Southern farming methods and

2880-701: The federal government. In the 1930s, a group of black men from the Tuskegee Men's Club began efforts to get more black voters registered. Beginning in 1941, the group reorganized under the name the Tuskegee Civic Association (TCA). With the group's consistent effort to register more voters, the area's statistics of registered black voters continued to increase. The group and potential voters were often met with obstacles that prevented them from being successful. The surrounding black community showed support and wanted to recognize black leaders in

2952-492: The federal order anywhere in the state on the grounds that it would lead to violence. Behind the scenes, Wallace enlisted the aid of Ku Klux Klan members and neo-Nazis of the National States' Rights Party to gin up protests calling for the closing of schools that were scheduled to integrate. Wallace subsequently ordered public schools closed across the state and deployed state troopers on September 3, 1963, to block

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3024-404: The formerly enslaved peoples full citizenship in the United States , though this did not guarantee them voting rights. The 14th Amendment made "All persons born or naturalized in the United States" citizens of the United States. The 15th Amendment gave voting rights to all adult males; only adult males had the franchise among White Americans . The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are known as

3096-515: The late 20th century. As of the census of 2010, there were 9,865 people, 3,749 households, and 1,956 families residing in the city. The population density was 636.5 inhabitants per square mile (245.8/km). There were 4,624 housing units at an average density of 298.3 per square mile (115.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% Black or African American , 1.9% White , 0.1% Native American , 0.5% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 0.3% from other races , and 1.3% from two or more races. 1.3% of

3168-528: The major philanthropists of the era, including George Eastman . At the same time, Washington secretly provided funding for its legal defense of some highly visible civil rights cases, including supporting challenges to Southern states' discriminatory constitutions and practices that disenfranchised African Americans . Washington worked with Julius Rosenwald and architects at the college to develop models for rural schools, to be used with Rosenwald's matching funds to build more schools for black children in

3240-562: The mid-1960s both the Southern's Crescent and its Piedmont Limited made stops at the depot. The railway's Crescent was the last train to make stops at the station. The Southern Railway moved the train out in 1970 for a rerouting from an Atlanta-Montgomery-New Orleans itinerary to an Atlanta-Birmingham-New Orleans itinerary. 32°25′53″N 85°42′24″W  /  32.431506°N 85.706781°W  / 32.431506; -85.706781 Macon County, Alabama Macon County

3312-720: The north of the island. Some went first to Spanish-ruled Cuba , from where they immigrated to New Orleans in 1808 and 1809 after being expelled when Napoleon invaded Spanish territories in Western Europe . Many brought slaves with them. Their numbers strengthened the French-speaking community of enslaved African peoples, as well as the free people of color. Other refugees from Saint-Domingue settled in Charleston , Savannah , and New York . The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared all enslaved peoples in

3384-490: The opening of Tuskegee High School. The school was integrated on September 10, 1963, after President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and 13 Black students were among only 165 students to begin the school year, against a total enrollment of about 550. Johnny Ford was elected the first black mayor of the city in 1972, and served six consecutive terms in office. Lucenia Williams Dunn

3456-685: The original group). In addition to arguing that the post-Civil War treaties gave them citizenship, the freedmen have argued that the Dawes Rolls were often inaccurate, recording as freedmen even those individuals who had partial Cherokee ancestry and were considered Cherokee by blood. The Choctaw freedmen and Creek freedmen have similarly struggled with their respective tribes over the terms of citizenship in contemporary times. The tribes have wanted to limit those who can benefit from tribal citizenship, in an era in which gaming casinos are yielding considerable revenues for members. The majority of members of

3528-399: The past century and a quarter. Apart from the " dealignment " era between 1948 and 1972, and Herbert Hoover in the highly controversial 1928 election, no Republican has won so much as twenty percent of the county's vote in the past century. No Republican has obtained a majority in that time span, although Dwight D. Eisenhower won a narrow plurality in 1956. In the elections of 1980, Macon

3600-436: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,749 households, out of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.0% were married couples living together, 28.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.8% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

3672-606: The present. It also has a site serving as the Tuskegee Visitor Center and is home to the Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center. Tuskegee area attractions include: The table at right shows the effects of the state passing a law in 1957 to redefine the city of Tuskegee in a way that excluded nearly all black residents, dramatically reducing the population by 1960. The city and other officials were sued under Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960);

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3744-540: The previous boundaries of the city were restored. This case was cited in the later Baker v. Carr (1964), in which the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee's malapportionment of election districts violated civil rights . It ruled that representation in both houses of all state legislatures had to be based on population, under the " one man, one vote " doctrine, and that such districts had to be regularly updated to reflect population changes. In 1963, Tuskegee

3816-466: The protests of many African Americans, the state legislature redrew the boundaries of the city, enacting Local Law 140, which created an irregular, 28-sided city boundary that left only ten black voters within the newly defined city, and excluded 420 black voters. Those excluded included the entire professional staff of the Institute and the hospital. No white voters were excluded by the change. The law

3888-415: The small towns and rural areas to which most would return. Teaching was a highly respected calling, as education was a major goal among the freedmen and their children. Washington believed that African Americans would achieve acceptance by Southern whites when they had raised themselves. Washington led the school for decades , building a wide national network of white industrialist donors among some of

3960-501: The state legislature had violated the Fifteenth Amendment in 1957 by gerrymandering city boundaries as a 28-sided figure that excluded nearly all black voters and residents, and none of the white voters or residents. The city's boundaries were restored in 1961 after the ruling. The name "Tuskegee" comes from Spanish "Tasquiqui", which came from the Muskogee word "Taskeke", meaning "warriors". The Native American town of Tasquique

4032-455: The tribes have voted to limit membership. Descendants of freedmen, however, maintain that their rights to citizenship granted under the post-Civil War treaties should be restored. In 2017, the Cherokee freedmen were granted citizenship again in the tribe. Many convicted people from the United Kingdom were sentenced to be transported to Australia between 1788 and 1868. Also, many came from

4104-573: The tribes. Numerous families had intermarried by that time or had other personal ties. If freedmen left the tribes, they would become U.S. citizens. In the late 20th century, the Cherokee Nation voted for restrictions on membership to only those descendants of people listed as "Cherokee by blood" on the Dawes Rolls of the early 20th century, a decision that excluded most Cherokee Freedmen (by that time this term referred to descendants of

4176-481: The university has been designated as a National Historic District and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Tuskegee Veterans Administration Medical Center was opened in 1923, authorized by Congress. A total of 27 buildings were constructed on the 464-acre campus, which provided housing and a hospital to serve the needs of more than 300,000 African-American veterans in

4248-410: Was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.5% under the age of 18, 27.8% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.6 males. The median income for a household in

4320-458: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.13. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 16.90% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 85.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.30 males. The median income for

4392-472: Was 9,395, down from 9,865 in 2010 and 11,846 in 2000 . Tuskegee has been important in African-American history and highly influential in United States history since the 19th century. Before the American Civil War the area was developed for cotton plantations, dependent on enslaved African-American people. After the war many freedmen continued to work on plantations in the rural area, which

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4464-562: Was a population of African Americans born free. In addition, there were sizable communities of free peoples of African descent in the French Caribbean colonies , such as Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) and Guadeloupe . Due to the violence of the Haitian Revolution , many free people of color, who were originally part of the revolution, fled the island as refugees after being attacked by slave rebels , particularly in

4536-583: Was an attempt to establish new governments in the former Confederacy and to bring freedmen into society as voting citizens. Northern church bodies, such as the American Missionary Association and the Free Will Baptists , sent teachers to the South to assist in educating freedmen and their children, and eventually established several colleges for higher education. U.S. Army occupation soldiers were stationed throughout

4608-489: Was called his or her patron ( patronus ) . As a social class, freed slaves were liberti , though later Latin texts used the terms libertus and libertini interchangeably. Libertini were not entitled to hold public office or state priesthoods , nor could they achieve legitimate senatorial rank . During the early Empire, however, freedmen held key positions in the government bureaucracy, so much so that Hadrian limited their participation by law. Any future children of

4680-469: Was devoted to agriculture, primarily cotton as a commodity crop. In 1881 the Tuskegee Normal School (now Tuskegee University, a historically black college ) was founded by Lewis Adams , a former slave whose father, Jesse Adams, a white slave owner had allowed him to be educated. Its first founding principal was Booker T. Washington , who developed a national reputation and philanthropic network to support education of freedmen and their children. In 1923,

4752-493: Was elected the first black woman mayor in 2000. In the 21st century, Tuskegee has a council–manager government led by a four-member city council, a mayor, and an appointed city manager. The city council acts as a legislative body of the city, passing laws and regulations and appointing citizens to the city's various boards. Each member of the city council is elected for a four-year term from one of three geographic single-member districts. Tuskegee has one city council member who

4824-655: Was illegal under state law. It lasted about four years, during which twenty-six businesses operated by white proprietors closed down. African Americans also organized a legal challenge to the law, supported by the NAACP , in a case known as Gomillion v. Lightfoot . The law was initially upheld by the US District Court and affirmed by the Appeals Court based in New Orleans. However, it was struck down by

4896-412: Was intended to guarantee that minority whites could retain control of the city even if more blacks succeeded in the arduous process of registering to vote. Some 3,000 African-American residents protested passage of the law at a church in Tuskegee; they also began an economic boycott of white businesses in the city. They referred to the boycott as a "selective buying campaign" due to the fact that boycotting

4968-599: Was located on the Chattahoochee River just south of present-day Columbus, Georgia . The Creek people long occupied this area including a settlement known as Taskigi Town. After Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in furtherance of President Andrew Jackson 's goals, most of the Creek bands were removed from their homelands in the Southeast to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River . Pioneer white planters and other migrants moved into

5040-741: Was the former strength coach at Tuskegee University. Macon County is home to the Tuskegee University , a historically black college ; Tuskegee National Forest , Tuskegee Lake , the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Museum , and Moton Field , the training site of the Tuskegee Airmen . 32°23′07″N 85°41′37″W  /  32.38528°N 85.69361°W  / 32.38528; -85.69361 Freedman Rome differed from Greek city-states in allowing freed slaves to become plebeian citizens . The act of freeing

5112-470: Was the most Democratic county in the nation while in 1984 it was the most Democratic outside of the District of Columbia. Macon County was only 0.02 percent shy of this in 1992, when it gave both George H. W. Bush his smallest proportion outside of the District of Columbia and independent Ross Perot his smallest vote share in any county nationwide. The Sheriff of Macon County is Andre Brunson, who also

5184-526: Was to have been the first Alabama community to comply with a federal order to desegregate its public schools . The school superintendent , C.A. (Hardboy) Pruitt, at first opposed the admission of Black students, but worked with other community leaders to comply with the final order of the federal district court , with plans to admit 13 Black students in September 1963 to what had been an all-white high school. But Gov. George Wallace opposed compliance with

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