Leeds was founded in 1877, it has a population of 12,324 as of the 2020 census and is located in the eastern suburb of Birmingham. Upon its creation, it housed the workers and families of a cement manufacturing plant.
Are we sufficiently confused? Well, hold off on the comments just yet because we're not talking about our Leeds, we're talking about its twin, located in Birmingham, Alabama.
We know Leeds to be the largest city in West Yorkshire, with a population of around half a million people, it's east of Bradford and began life as a small manorial borough in the 13th century. So how different is Leeds in the US compared to Leeds in the UK?
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Well, as mentioned, Leeds, Alabama was founded in 1877 during the penultimate years of the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. This was a period that followed the American Civil War, it lasted 12 years from 1865 to 1877, the main outcome of this era was to grant the newly freed slaves, the same civil rights as those of the white people.
Leeds, Alabama is a tri-county municipality located in Jefferson, St Clair and Shelby Counties. Originally it was used to house workers and families from Lehigh, a Portland cement manufacturing plant.
It's obviously a much smaller area than Leeds in the UK but it has an equally interesting history regarding its geography. Following the War of 1812, in which the US and its indigenous allies fought the UK and their allies, three cultures shaped the foundations and history of the area.
Leeds gathered European settlers along with their African-American slaves which were scattered across Native-American paths throughout the centre of the state of Alabama. Settlers began building churches and schools and the area was known for rich deposits of coal and mineral ore as well as fertile land.
Though not a city known for its mineral ores, Leeds, UK, also thrived as a hub for the manufacturing and industrial process. It became a major centre for wool production in the 17th and 18th centuries, then moving onto become a mill town during the Industrial Revolution.
Wool remained dominant but the town became known for flax, engineering, iron foundries, printing and more. Leeds, Alabama remains small but our Leeds expanded over time and absorbed surrounding villages to become a densely populated urban centre, by 1893 it had achieved city status.
The suburb spawned a number of folk lore tales, including the story of John Henry. John was known as the "steel-drivin man", who raced and won against a steam engine during the laying of railroad going through a mountain tunnel.
However, the area is not without its potential issues. In November 2019, it was reported that a polluted location in the area was at risk of becoming flooded due to climate change.
So, despite being over 4,270 miles apart, Leeds Alabama and Leeds in Yorkshire have some similarities. They both existed as a point of trade, they both have a rich history and both share the name of one of the best cities in the UK.
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