On January 19, 1818 – 208 years ago today – the first legislature of the Alabama Territory convened at the Douglass Hotel in the territorial capital of St. Stephens.

Only twelve members of the House, representing seven counties, and only one member of the Senate conducted the business of the new territory. Appointed Gov. William Wyatt Bibb provided a written address to the Legislature that called for the creation of a system of education for the territory’s children.

Political maneuvering by Bibb resulted in Cahawba being named capital when Alabama became a state in 1819. The territorial capital of St. Stephens and the 300 buildings and homes of the town no longer exist, but a historical park operates on the site in Washington County today.

This story originally appeared in The Art of Alabama Politics, an outlet dedicated to the the wild, weird, and wonderful history of Alabama politics.