The Territory of Alabama (sometimes Alabama Territory^[n]) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 15, 1817, until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alabama.

Although the Alabama Territory was designated by an Act of Congress on 3 March 1817, it did not become effective until 5 months later on 15 August 1817. The delay was due to a provision in the Congressional Act which stated that the Act would take effect only if and when Mississippi formed a State Constitution. That event took place on 15 August 1817, with Mississippi Territory becoming the State of Mississippi on December 10, 1817.

Located in the central area of the Alabama Territory, St. Stephens, on the Tombigbee River, was the only territorial capital. William Wyatt Bibb was the only territorial governor.

On December 14, 1819, two years and four months after the Alabama Territory was created, Alabama was admitted to the union as the 22nd U.S. state, with William Wyatt Bibb also becoming the first state governor (1819–1820).

Alabama (ⁱ/ˌæləˈbæmə/) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th-most extensive and the 23rd-most populous of the 50 United States. Alabama ranks second in the area of its inland waterways.

From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on agriculture. Despite the growth of major industries and urban centers, white rural interests dominated the state legislature until the 1960s, while urban interests and African Americans were under-represented. Following World War II, Alabama experienced growth as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and technology. In addition, the establishment or expansion of multiple military installations, primarily those of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, added to state jobs.