Monroe County (Alabama)

Monroe County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,068. Its county seat is Monroeville. Its name is in honor of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. It is a dry county, in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or prohibited, but Frisco City and Monroeville are wet cities.In 1997, the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County as the "Literary Capital of Alabama." It is the birthplace of notable writer Harper Lee and served as the childhood home for fellow writer and lifelong friend Truman Capote. Lee lived here most of her life, and the enduring popularity of her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has attracted tourists to the city and area.HistoryFor thousands of years the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples. In historic times, it was primarily the territory of the Creek peoples, who became known to European-American settlers as one of the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast.The prominent Upper Creek chief Red Eagle (also known as William Weatherford), of the prominent Wind Clan, settled here after the Creek War (1813-1814). At the time, the United States was also involved in the War of 1812 against Great Britain. Red Eagle established a successful plantation. He was of Creek and European descent, and had adopted chattel slavery to gain workers for his plantation and horse breeding. Most of the Creek people were removed from Alabama to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in the 1830s.