{"product_id":"mobile-the-new-history-of-alabamas-first-city-9780817310653","title":"Mobile: The New History of Alabama's First City","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMobile: The New History of Alabama's First City\u003c\/strong\u003e by Michael V.R. Thomason. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780817310653.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis comprehensive new history of Mobile celebrates the rich heritage\nof Alabamas oldest city and commemorates the citys tricentennial from\n1702 to the present.\nAlabamas oldest city from the period of European settlement was founded\nin 1702 by French naval officer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.\nBienville named the settlement after the nearby Maubila Indians and situated\nit on the west side of the protected harbor now called Mobile Bay on the\nGulf of Mexico. During the colonial period, Mobile was occupied successively\nby the French, British, and Spanish until it was seized by the Americans\nin 1813. From this point on, the city quickly evolved from a trading post\ninto a prosperous river port, thanks to the cotton production of antebellum\nBlack Belt plantations.\n\nAfter the defeat of the Confederacy, Mobile began to decline and Birmingham\ntook over as the economic leader of Alabama. During World War II, Mobile\nexperienced a second boom period as shipbuilding and defense industries\nexpanded and flourished. At the turn of the 21st century, as it celebrates\nits tricentennial, Mobile remains an important American port city whoes economy has diversified to include oil, natural gas, and paper.\n\nMobile: The New History of Alabamas First City reassesses Mobiles\nplace in American history and celebrates its proud heritage. Recognized\nscholars of Mobile history have collaborated to produce a highly readable,\nrichly illustrated narrative that showcases the great range of influences\non this bustling maritime city. Published in cooperation with the Mobile\nTricentennial Committee, this long-awaited book will be invaluable to historians\nand general readers alike as it documents and interprets the first 300\nyears of a great and vital American city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"University Alabama Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44954409074741,"sku":"ByrdShop_0817310657","price":318.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780817310653_865a80a3-3aec-43f3-a889-04f431b7f6b9.jpg?v=1778874551","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/mobile-the-new-history-of-alabamas-first-city-9780817310653","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}