Lighthouses of Alabama

State Prophecy

“The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1 CONSTITUTION OF 1868 PREAMBLE ________________________________________ PREAMBLE. WE, The People of the State of Alabama, by our Representatives in Convention assembled, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure to ourselves and to our posterity the rights of life, liberty, and property, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama: Camellia Many different meanings for different colors. Red means excellence. White means adorable and lovely. Pink means I long for your touch. Blue means you are the flame in my heart. Montgomery %u2013Mountain belonging to the ruler %u2013French origin Mobile%u2014mobility movement, shift vehicle ministry moving forward flexibility Yellowhammer bird and nickname of StateThe “yellowhammer” was designated the official bird symbol of Alabama in 1927 (Alabama is the the only state that chose a woodpecker as state bird). The yellowhammer (correct name northern flicker) has been a symbol of Alabama since the Civil War (Alabama is often called The Yellowhammer State). Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) range throughout the USA (red- shafted in the west and yellow-shafted flickers in the east, with interbreeding between these two color variations in between). “The Yellowhammer State” Alabama does not have an official nickname, but has been known as The Yellowhammer State since the civil war when a company of Alabama soldiers wore uniforms trimmed with yellow cloth and were nicknamed Yellowhammers. “Yellowhammer” is the common name given to the Northern flicker woodpecker) because of the bright yellow feathers beneath its wings and tail. The Cotton State Alabama is also called The Cotton State (Alabama is centrally located in the cotton belt and cotton production was a major influence in the growth and culture of the state). The Heart of Dixie Probably the most familiar nickname for Alabama is The Heart of Dixie (originally because Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederate States during the Civil War). See Nicknames for all 50 states. The phrase Stars Fell on Alabama was introduced to Alabama license plates in 2002, with the familiar Heart of Dixie emblem reduced to a small size (a 1951 law requires Alabama license plates to display the words “Heart of Dixie” within a heart shape). “Stars Fell on Alabama,” refers to the 1934 song written by Mitchell Parish and Frank Perkins and made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and other artists. It also refers to an actual meteor shower that was seen across Alabama on November 12-13, 1833. Quote from then-Governor Don Siegelman: “It is my hope that this design will help send a message that stars have indeed fallen on Alabama and continue to fall on Alabama.” Stars Fell on Alabama is also the title of a book by Carl Carmer.