Montgomery and Selma, Alabama

Montgomery is where the southern states got together to establish the Confederate States of America and where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the first president. There is a star on the steps of the statehouse to mark the spot where he stood when he was sworn in.

This is the First White House of the Confederacy:

This was Mrs. Davis' bedroom. I took this
picture mainly for the dress:

These are some of Jefferson Davis' things:

A spill holder. A spill is a twist of paper

used for lighting candles, pipes and fires:

We walked a couple of blocks to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. We had this wonderful effusive lady who loved us all and sang to us. At the end of the tour she had us and the other couple that was there with us all hold hands and sing "We Shall Overcome." She was wonderful - and I didn't take a picture of her!! :(

This is a mural on the wall in the basement of the church:

There is a baptismal font under the floor here:

We drove onto Selma. When the Selma-to-Montgomery march took place, they had to camp along the way because it was a 50 mile walk.

This march was for the right to vote. We did stop at a visitors' center there and the rangers gave us a sample of the literacy tests that the blacks had to pass in order to register to vote. Here is one question from the Louisiana State literacy test:
"Divide a vertical line in two equal parts by bisecting it with a curved horizontal line that is only straight at its spot bisection of the vertical." On this test there were 30 similar questions and they had 10 minutes to answer them all. Here is a question from the Alabama Literacy test: "Appropriation  of money for the armed services can be only for a period limited to ____ years." There were 68 questions just like this one and they were given 30 minutes to answer them. Could you?

When we arrived in Selma, we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. No one beat us, or trampled us with horses, or threw tear gas canisters at us. 

A ranger at the visitor's center here directed us to a local history museum. It was actually a lot of fun - full of all kinds of local history. 

The Old Depot Museum:

Voting booth:

A clock maker's bench:

These bow, arrows, and quiver were made by Geronimo while he was imprisoned at Mt. Vernon, Alabama:

The proprietor at the museum recommended the Golden Ranch Barbecue for dinner, which is where we ate. I ordered fish with potatoes and gravy. They put gravy on the fish as well. Let's just say it was a cultural experience!