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Alabama's 8th congressional district

{{Short description|Former congressional district}}

{{redirect|AL 8|Alabama State Route 8|U.S. Route 80 in Alabama}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{coord|34|52|53.13|N|87|13|3.76|W|region:US|display=title}}

{{Infobox U.S. congressional district

|state = Alabama

|district number = 8

|obsolete = yes

|created = 1870

|eliminated = 1970

|years = 1873-1973

|population = 383,625

|population year = 1960

}}

Alabama's 8th congressional district, now obsolete, was established in 1877.

Alabama currently has seven congressional districts represented in the United States House of Representatives.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Alabama was apportioned eight congressional seats as a result of the 1880 census. In 1893-1913 there were nine seats, and in 1913-1933 there were ten seats, the maximum ever for Alabama. In 1970, Alabama lost its eighth seat when population growth slowed to qualify for only seven seats.

The 8th seat was elected at-large from the entire state until the 45th Congress, when an 8th district was established as a separate district in the northwestern part of the state.Official Congressional Directory. 45th Congress, 2nd session. 3rd edition. Page 5 (1878) The district occupied an area now held by Alabama's 5th congressional district, with the exception of a portion of Morgan County, which is part of the 4th district. Franklin County, which was part of the 8th district until after the 1890 census, is also part of the modern 4th district.

The district was eliminated in reapportionment at the end of the 92nd United States Congress in 1973. Robert E. Jones Jr. was the district's last representative.

History

The district was eliminated in the 1970 redistricting cycle after the 1970 United States census.

List of members representing the district

class=wikitable style="text-align:center"

! Member

! Party

! Years

! Cong
ress

! Electoral history

! Population / Counties

style="height:3em"

| colspan=6 | District created March 3, 1877

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
William W. Garth
{{Small|(Huntsville)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879

| {{USCongressOrdinal|45}}

| Elected in 1876.
Lost re-election.

| rowspan=6 | 1877–1883:
Population 130,173
Colbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
William M. Lowe
{{Small|(Huntsville)}}

| {{Party shading/Greenback}} | Greenback

| nowrap | March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881

| {{USCongressOrdinal|46}}

| Elected in 1878.
Lost re-election.

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Joseph Wheeler
{{Small|(Wheeler)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | March 4, 1881 –
June 3, 1882

| rowspan=4 | {{USCongressOrdinal|47}}

| Elected in 1880.
Lost election contest.

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
William M. Lowe
{{Small|(Huntsville)}}

| {{Party shading/Greenback}} | Greenback

| nowrap | June 3, 1882 –
October 12, 1882

| Won election contest.
Died.

style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | October 12, 1882 –
January 15, 1883

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Joseph Wheeler
{{Small|(Wheeler)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | January 15, 1883 –
March 3, 1883

| Elected January 3, 1883 to finish Lowe's term and seated January 15, 1883.
Had not been elected to the next term.

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Luke Pryor
{{Small|(Athens)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1885

| {{USCongressOrdinal|48}}

| Elected in 1882.
Retired.

| rowspan=2 | 1883–1893:
Population 168,502
Colbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px
Joseph Wheeler
{{Small|(Wheeler)}}

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| rowspan=2 nowrap | March 4, 1885 –
April 20, 1900

| rowspan=2 | {{USCongressOrdinal|49|57}}

| rowspan=2 | Elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Resigned.

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=3 | 1893–1903:
Population 176,088
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | April 20, 1900 –
August 6, 1900

| {{USCongressOrdinal|57}}

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=3 align=left | 111x111px
William N. Richardson
{{Small|(Huntsville)}}

| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| rowspan=3 nowrap | August 6, 1900 –
March 31, 1914

| rowspan=3 | {{USCongressOrdinal|57|63}}

| rowspan=3 | Elected to finish Wheeler's term.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Died.

style="height:3em"

| 1903–1913:
Population 194,491
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=4 | 1913–1923:
Population 218,342
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | March 31, 1914 –
May 11, 1914

| rowspan=2 | {{USCongressOrdinal|63}}

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Christopher C. Harris
{{Small|(Decatur)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | May 11, 1914 –
March 3, 1915

| Elected to finish Richardson's term.
Retired.

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=3 align=left | 100px
Edward B. Almon
{{Small|(Tuscumbia)}}

| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| rowspan=3 nowrap | March 4, 1915 –
June 22, 1933

| rowspan=3 | {{USCongressOrdinal|64|73}}

| rowspan=3 | Elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Died.

style="height:3em"

| 1923–1933:
Population 254,529
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=4 | 1923–1943:
Population 282,241
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"}

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | June 22, 1933 –
November 14, 1933

| {{USCongressOrdinal|73}}

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Archibald H. Carmichael
{{Small|(Tuscumbia)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | November 14, 1933 –
January 3, 1937

| {{USCongressOrdinal|73|74}}

| Elected to finish Almon's term.
Re-elected in 1934.
Retired.

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px
John Sparkman
{{Small|(Huntsville)}}

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| rowspan=2 nowrap | January 3, 1937 –
November 5, 1946

| rowspan=2 | {{USCongressOrdinal|75|79}}

| rowspan=2 | Elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946 but resigned when elected U.S. Senator.

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=3 | 1943–1953:
Population 300,112
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | November 5, 1946 –
January 28, 1947

| {{USCongressOrdinal|79}}

style="height:3em"

| rowspan=2 align=left | 100px
Robert E. Jones Jr.
{{Small|(Scottsboro)}}

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| rowspan=2 nowrap | January 28, 1947 –
January 3, 1963

| rowspan=2 | {{USCongressOrdinal|80|87}}

| rowspan=2 | Elected to finish Sparkman's term.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Redistricted to the {{ushr|Alabama|AL|C}}.

style="height:3em"

| 1953–1963:
Population 321,459
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | District inactive

| nowrap | January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1965

| {{USCongressOrdinal|88}}

| colspan=2 | All representatives elected {{ushr|AL|AL|at large}}.

style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px
Robert E. Jones Jr.
{{Small|(Scottsboro)}}

| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| nowrap | January 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1973

| {{USCongressOrdinal|89|92}}

| Redistricted from the {{ushr|AL|AL|C}} and re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Redistricted to the {{ushr|Alabama|5|C}}.

| 1965–1973:
Population 383,625
Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan

style="height:3em"

| colspan=6 | District eliminated January 3, 1973

File:AlabamaDHist.png

References

;Specific

{{reflist}}

;General

  • Population data from [https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/al190090.txt U.S. Census Bureau: Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990]
  • 1880 and 1870 Census data from [https://archive.org/details/compendiumoftent01unitrich U.S. Census Bureau: Compendium of the Tenth Census, Volume 1]. (1883)
  • Additional population data and counties from the Official Congressional Directories of the 45th Congress (1878); 48th Congress (1883); 53rd Congress (1893); 58th Congress (1903); 81st Congress (1950); 83rd Congress (1953); and 89th Congress (1965).
  • {{cite book|title = The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress|last = Martis|first = Kenneth C.|year = 1989|publisher = Macmillan Publishing Company|location = New York}}
  • {{cite book|title = The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts|last = Martis|first = Kenneth C.|year = 1982|publisher = Macmillan Publishing Company|location = New York}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20100423082228/http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present]

{{USCongDistStateAL}}

08

Category:Former congressional districts of the United States

Category:Constituencies established in 1873

Category:1873 establishments in Alabama

Category:Constituencies disestablished in 1963

Category:1963 disestablishments in Alabama

Category:Constituencies established in 1965

Category:1965 establishments in Alabama

Category:1973 disestablishments in Alabama

Category:Constituencies disestablished in 1973