Chapter 3: Foundations of Human Activity

Chapter 3 discusses the native peoples of different regions and the pattern of different nationalities of people affected settlement. One need only research the derivation of the name Mobile to learn that this word is a Choctaw Indian word Mauvilla meaning "paddler." Many Native American influences can be seen in Mobile and the state of Alabama, from the names of rivers and cities like Mobile and Tuscaloosa, to the reservations that dot the area like the Creek reservation in Atmore where my great grandfather was a chief.  Upon exploration in the 1500s, Spanish explorers discovered many native tribes in the area, some of whom burned down their villages and fled upon discovery.

As mentioned in a previous post, Mobile has flown six flags, 3 of which were foreign - France, Britain and Spain. The early to mid 1700s saw Mobile under French rule, serving as the capital of the first Feench colony of Louisiana, founded by the brothers Pierre le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste le Moyne.  After moving the capital to Biloxi, Mobile became a trading post between the Indians and French. This time period also saw the first arrival of slaves from Africa.  From 1763-1776, Mobile was a colony of the British called West Florida. After the Revolutionary War, Mobile was captured by Spain and controlled by them for 30 years until recaptured by American forces in 1813.

The Industrial Revolution brought an influx of people into the city and this is the era when Mobile's ship building and ports began to take off. The latter part of the 1900s, Mobile saw it's square mileage triple because of population growth. Today, the county of Mobile has a population of 404,698 with 193,171 living inside the city itself, making Mobile the third largest city in Alabama. Eighty-one percent of the city is urban and 19% is rural.

This chapter also discusses religion. While I found no specific demographics for Mobile, I did find some on the state and I can't imagine that they are much different. Considered part of the "Bible Belt," it is no wonder that 84% of Mobilians consider themselves Christian (63% Protestant and 37% Baptist). Catholics are the next largest group represented at 13%.

Dauphin Way Baptist Church - one of the biggest in Mobile County