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Organization

An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution (formal organization), or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.

The word is derived from the Greek word organon, which means tool or instrument, musical instrument, and organ.

Types
There are a variety of legal types of organizations, including corporations, governments, non-governmental organizations, political organizations, international organizations, armed forces, charities, not-for-profit corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, and educational institutions, etc.

A hybrid organization is a body that operates in both the public sector and the private sector simultaneously, fulfilling public duties and developing commercial market activities.

A voluntary association is an organization consisting of volunteers. Such organizations may be able to operate without legal formalities, depending on jurisdiction, including informal clubs or coordinating bodies with a goal in mind which they may express in the form of an manifesto, mission statement, or implicitly through the organization's actions.

Organizations may also operate secretly or illegally in the case of secret societies, criminal organizations, and resistance movements. And in some cases may have obstacles from other organizations (e.g.: MLK's organization).

What makes an organization recognized by the government is either filling out incorporation or recognition in the form of either societal pressure (e.g.: Advocacy group), causing concerns (e.g.: Resistance movement) or being considered the spokesperson of a group of people subject to negotiation (e.g.: the Polisario Front being recognized as the sole representative of the Sahrawi people and forming a partially recognized state.)

Compare the concept of social groups, which may include non-organizations.

Organizations and institutions can be synonymous, but Jack Knight writes that organizations are a narrow version of institutions or represent a cluster of institutions; the two are distinct in the sense that organizations contain internal institutions (that govern interactions between the members of the organizations).

Structures

The study of organizations includes a focus on optimising organizational structure. According to management science, most human organizations fall roughly into four types:
 * Committees or juries
 * Ecologies
 * Matrix organizations
 * Pyramids or hierarchies

Committees or juries
These consist of a group of peers who decide as a group, perhaps by voting. The difference between a jury and a committee is that the members of the committee are usually assigned to perform or lead further actions after the group comes to a decision, whereas members of a jury come to a decision. In common law countries, legal juries render decisions of guilt, liability, and quantify damages; juries are also used in athletic contests, book awards, and similar activities. Sometimes a selection committee functions like a jury. In the Middle Ages, juries in continental Europe were used to determine the law according to consensus among local notables.

Committees are often the most reliable way to make decisions. Condorcet's jury theorem proved that if the average member votes better than a roll of dice, then adding more members increases the number of majorities that can come to a correct vote (however correctness is defined). The problem is that if the average member is subsequently worse than a roll of dice, the committee's decisions grow worse, not better; therefore, staffing is crucial.

Parliamentary procedure, such as Robert's Rules of Order, helps prevent committees from engaging in lengthy discussions without reaching decisions.

Ecologies
This organizational structure promotes internal competition. Inefficient components of the organization starve, while effective ones get more work. Everybody is paid for what they actually do, and so runs a tiny business that has to show a profit, or they are fired.

Companies that utilize this organization type reflect a rather one-sided view of what goes on in ecology. It is also the case that a natural ecosystem has a natural border – ecoregions do not, in general, compete with one another in any way, but are very autonomous.

The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline talks about functioning as this type of organization in this external article from The Guardian. By:Bastian Batac De Leon.

Matrix organization
This organizational type assigns each worker two bosses in two different hierarchies. One hierarchy is "functional" and assures that each type of expert in the organization is well-trained, and measured by a boss who is a super-expert in the same field. The other direction is "executive" and tries to get projects completed using the experts. Projects might be organized by products, regions, customer types, or some other schemes.

As an example, a company might have an individual with overall responsibility for products X and Y, and another individual with overall responsibility for engineering, quality control, etc. Therefore, subordinates responsible for quality control of project X will have two reporting lines. The United States aerospace industries were the first to officially use this organizational structure after it emerged in the early 1960s.

Pyramids or hierarchical
A hierarchy exemplifies an arrangement with a leader who leads other individual members of the organization. This arrangement is often associated with the basis that there are enough to imagine a real pyramid, if there are not enough stone blocks to hold up the higher ones, gravity would irrevocably bring down the monumental structure. So one can imagine that if the leader does not have the support of his subordinates, the entire structure will collapse. Hierarchies were satirized in The Peter Principle (1969), a book that introduced hierarchiology and the saying that "in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."

Theories
In the social sciences, organizations are the object of analysis for a number of disciplines, such as sociology, economics, political science, psychology, management, and organizational communication. The broader analysis of organizations is commonly referred to as organizational structure, organizational studies, organizational behavior, or organization analysis. A number of different perspectives exist, some of which are compatible:
 * From a functional perspective, the focus is on how entities like businesses or state authorities are used.
 * From an institutional perspective, an organization is viewed as a purposeful structure within a social context.
 * From a process-related perspective, an organization is viewed as an entity being (re-)organized, and the focus is on the organization as a set of tasks or actions.

Sociology can be defined as the science of the institutions of modernity; specific institutions serve a function, akin to the individual organs of a coherent body. In the social and political sciences in general, an "organization" may be more loosely understood as the planned, coordinated, and purposeful action of human beings working through collective action to reach a common goal or construct a tangible product. This action is usually framed by formal membership and form (institutional rules). Sociology distinguishes the term organization into planned formal and unplanned informal (i.e. spontaneously formed) organizations. Sociology analyses organizations in the first line from an institutional perspective. In this sense, the organization is an enduring arrangement of elements. These elements and their actions are determined by rules so that a certain task can be fulfilled through a system of coordinated division of labor.

Economic approaches to organizations also take the division of labor as a starting point. The division of labor allows for (economies of) specialization. Increasing specialization necessitates coordination. From an economic point of view, markets and organizations are alternative coordination mechanisms for the execution of transactions.

An organization is defined by the elements that are part of it (who belongs to the organization and who does not?), its communication (which elements communicate and how do they communicate?), its autonomy (which changes are executed autonomously by the organization or its elements?), and its rules of action compared to outside events (what causes an organization to act as a collective actor?).

By coordinated and planned cooperation of the elements, the organization is able to solve tasks that lie beyond the abilities of the single element. The price paid by the elements is the limitation of the degrees of freedom of the elements. Advantages of organizations are enhancement (more of the same), addition (combination of different features), and extension. Disadvantages can be inertness (through coordination) and loss of interaction.

Among the theories that are or have been influential are:

 * Activity theory is the major theoretical influence, acknowledged by de Clodomir Santos de Morais in the development of Organization Workshop method.
 * Actor–network theory, an approach to social theory and research, originating in the field of science studies, which treats objects as part of social networks.
 * Complexity theory and organizations, the use of complexity theory in the field of strategic management and organizational studies.
 * Contingency theory, a class of behavioral theories that claim that there is no best way to organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make decisions.
 * Critical management studies, a loose but extensive grouping of theoretically informed critiques of management, business, and organization, grounded originally in a critical theory perspective
 * Economic sociology, studies both the social effects and the social causes of various economic phenomena.
 * Enterprise architecture, the conceptual model that defines the coalescence of organizational structure and organizational behavior.
 * Garbage Can Model, describes a model which disconnects problems, solutions, and decision-makers from each other.
 * Principal–agent problem, concerns the difficulties in motivating one party (the "agent"), to act in the best interests of another (the "principal") rather than in his or her own interests
 * Scientific management (mainly following Frederick W. Taylor), a theory of management that analyses and synthesizes workflows.
 * Social entrepreneurship, the process of pursuing innovative solutions to social problems.
 * Transaction cost theory, the idea that people begin to organize their production in firms when the transaction cost of coordinating production through the market exchange, given imperfect information, is greater than within the firm.
 * Weber's Ideal of Bureaucracy (refer to Max Weber's chapter on "Bureaucracy" in his book Economy and Society)

Leadership
A leader in a formal, hierarchical organization, is appointed to a managerial position and has the right to command and enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position. However, he must possess adequate personal attributes to match his authority, because authority is only potentially available to him. In the absence of sufficient personal competence, a manager may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenge his role in the organization and reduce it to that of a figurehead. However, only the authority of position has the backing of formal sanctions. It follows that whoever wields personal influence and power can legitimize this only by gaining a formal position in the hierarchy, with commensurate authority.

Formal organizations
An organization that is established as a means for achieving defined objectives has been referred to as a formal organization. Its design specifies how goals are subdivided and reflected in subdivisions of the organization. Divisions, departments, sections, positions, jobs, and tasks make up this work structure. Thus, the formal organization is expected to behave impersonally in regard to relationships with clients or with its members. According to Weber's definition, entry and subsequent advancement is by merit or seniority. Each employee receives a salary and enjoys a degree of tenure that safeguards him from the arbitrary influence of superiors or of powerful clients. The higher his position in the hierarchy, the greater his presumed expertise in adjudicating problems that may arise in the course of the work carried out at lower levels of the organization. It is this bureaucratic structure that forms the basis for the appointment of heads or chiefs of administrative subdivisions in the organization and endows them with the authority attached to their position.

Informal organizations
In contrast to the appointed head or chief of an administrative unit, a leader emerges within the context of the informal organization that underlies the formal structure. The informal organization expresses the personal objectives and goals of the individual membership. Their objectives and goals may or may not coincide with those of the formal organization. The informal organization represents an extension of the social structures that generally characterize human life – the spontaneous emergence of groups and organizations as ends in themselves.

In prehistoric times, man was preoccupied with his personal security, maintenance, protection, and survival. Now man spends a major portion of his waking hours working for organizations. His need to identify with a community that provides security, protection, maintenance, and a feeling of belonging continues unchanged from prehistoric times. This need is met by the informal organization and its emergent, or unofficial, leaders.

Leaders emerge from within the structure of the informal organization. Their personal qualities, the demands of the situation, or a combination of these and other factors attract followers who accept their leadership within one or several overlay structures. Instead of the authority of position held by an appointed head or chief, the emergent leader wields influence or power. Influence is the ability of a person to gain cooperation from others by means of persuasion or control over rewards. Power is a stronger form of influence because it reflects a person's ability to enforce action through the control of a means of punishment.

The interplay between formal and informal organizations
As most organizations operate through a mix of formal and informal mechanisms, organization science scholars have paid attention to the type of interplay between formal and informal organizations. On the one hand, some have argued that formal and informal organizations operate as substitutes as one type of organization would decrease the advantages of using the other one. For instance, if parties trust each other the use of a formal contract is unnecessary or even detrimental to the relationship. On the other hand, other scholars have suggested that formal and informal organizations can complement each other. For instance, formal mechanisms of control can pave the way for the development of relational norms.

title: Organization


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Scientology and law

The Church of Scientology has been involved in numerous court disputes across the world. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, questions have been raised as to its motives. The Church of Scientology says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right to freedom of religion. Critics say that most of the organization's legal claims are designed to harass those who criticize it and its manipulative business practices.

In the years since its inception, the Church of Scientology's lawsuits have numbered in the thousands—filed against newspapers, magazines, government agencies (including the United States tax collecting unit, the IRS), and many individuals. In 1991, Time magazine estimated that the Church spends an average of about $20 million per year on various legal actions, and it is the exclusive client of several law firms. According to a U.S. District Court Memorandum of Decision in 1993, Scientologists "have abused the federal court system by using it, inter alia, to destroy their opponents, rather than to resolve an actual dispute over trademark law or any other legal matter. This constitutes 'extraordinary, malicious, wanton, and oppressive conduct.' ... It is abundantly clear that plaintiffs sought to harass the individual defendants and destroy the church defendants through massive over-litigation and other highly questionable litigation tactics. The Special Master has never seen a more glaring example of bad faith litigation than this." Rulings such as this have classified the Church of Scientology as a chronically vexatious litigant. Legal disputes initiated by Scientology against its former members, the media or others include the following:
 * Religious discrimination cases, including recognition as a religious organization.
 * Copyright infringement cases. Scientology's religious documents are copyrighted, and many are available only to members who pay for higher levels of courses and auditing.
 * Libel and slander cases.

In the past, the Church has been the defendant in criminal cases (for example, in United States v. Hubbard), and increasingly, lawsuits are being brought by former Church members against the Church, such as:
 * human trafficking and forced labor (Claire and Mark Headley v. Church of Scientology International)
 * fraud and misrepresentation
 * libel (e.g. Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto).

Litigation for religious recognition
One goal of the Church of Scientology is to be recognized as a religion or a tax-free charity, which has met resistance from several governments, with Scientology taking to the courts with varying results. For example, Scientology's path to legal recognition as a religion in New Zealand took 48 years and several lawsuits. In 1999, the United Kingdom rejected an application for charity status and the attendant tax benefits. Scientology applied for Canadian tax-exempt status in 1998, was rejected in 1999, and is not registered as a charity as of 2009. In Austria, the organization withdrew its application to register as a "religious confessional community". Some governments have labeled the church as a cult. German and Belgian government entities have accused Scientology of violating the human rights of its members and therefore called it a "totalitarian cult" and a "commercial enterprise". In 1995, a parliamentary report in France classified it as a "dangerous cult". In Russia, the government had refused to consider Scientology for registration as a religious organization, which became the subject of proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Church of Scientology Moscow v. Russia.

L. Ron Hubbard and lawsuits
Critics state that the ultimate aim of Scientology lawsuits is to destroy church opponents by forcing them into bankruptcy or submission, using its resources to pursue frivolous lawsuits at considerable cost to defendants. In doing so, they draw particular attention to certain controversial statements made by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1994, Scientology attorney Helena Kobrin was fined $17,775 for filing a frivolous lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema cited a frequently quoted statement of L. Ron Hubbard on the subject in the case of Religious Technology Center vs. The Washington Post, on November 28, 1995: "The purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than win. The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, well knowing that he is not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly."

Critics also allege that the Church uses litigation as a cover for intimidation tactics, such as investigating the criminal records (or lack thereof) of opponents and subjecting them to surveillance and invasive inquiries, both to discourage further criticism and to ensure the opponent's unwillingness to fight the lawsuit. A policy letter by L. Ron Hubbard, distributed in early 1966, says: "This is correct procedure: Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way."
 * 1) Spot who is attacking us.''
 * 2) Start investigating them promptly for FELONIES or worse using own professionals, not outside agencies.
 * 3) Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them.
 * 4) Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press.

Critics of Scientology cite this passage, among others (such as the widely documented fair game doctrine), to support their contentions that the church uses smear tactics to augment the effectiveness of legal threats.

Canada
In R v Church of Scientology of Toronto (1992), the Church of Scientology was convicted on two charges of breaching the public trust and fined $250,000, and seven members were convicted on various charges. The case was brought to light after the USA FBI raids in the 1970s on Church of Scientology properties resulted in the discovery of stolen Canadian records, followed by a Canadian raid on the Toronto property and the discovery of 250,000 documents in more than 900 boxes.

"According to court records, Scientology's Guardian Office in Toronto ran a spy ring from 1974 to 1976 that infiltrated Revenue Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, Metro Police, the provincial attorney general's office, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Ontario Medical Association and two law firms."

In Hill v Church of Scientology of Toronto (1995), Justice Casey Hill, at that time a Crown attorney involved in the R. v. Church of Scientology of Toronto case, sued and won CAD$1,600,000 for libel, the largest libel damage award in Canadian history. During the case, it was shown that a file had been kept on him as an "Enemy Canada". In their decision, the Supreme Court of Canada found: "In this case, there was ample evidence upon which the jury could properly base their finding of aggravated damages. The existence of the file on Casey Hill under the designation 'Enemy Canada' was evidence of the malicious intention of Scientology to 'neutralize' him. The press conference was organized in such a manner as to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the libel. Scientology continued with the contempt proceedings although it knew its allegations were false. In its motion to remove Hill from the search warrant proceedings, it implied that he was not trustworthy and might act in those proceedings in a manner that would benefit him in his libel action. It pleaded justification or truth of its statement when it knew it to be false. It subjected Hill to a demeaning cross-examination and, in its address to the jury, depicted Hill as a manipulative actor."

France
In 1978, L. Ron Hubbard, creator of Scientology, was convicted for illegal business practices, namely, making false claims about his ability to cure physical illnesses. He was sentenced in absentia to four years in prison, which was never served.

In 1996, Jean-Jacques Mazier, then head of the Church of Scientology of Lyons was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide, and sentenced to 18 months in prison plus 18 months suspended and fined $100,000. Fourteen of 22 others charged with frauds were also convicted. The manslaughter charge was in connection with the 1988 death of Patrice Vic, who killed himself by jumping from a 12th-floor apartment after being pressured to borrow money to pay for yet another Scientology service. The victim's widow said her husband had been "subjected to psychological torture". Related to this trial, two other scientologists were convicted in Toulon for threatening a psychiatrist and expert witness in the trial.

In 1999, a Marseille court found five senior officials of the Church of Scientology guilty of fraud for "sham purification treatments" in Nice and Marseille. Xavier Delamare was sentenced to two years, partially deferred, and received a fine. Four others received suspended sentences of six months to two years, and two more were found not guilty. In a similar case in Lyons in 1997, six Scientologists had been given suspended prison sentences for fraud.

In 2006, a French parliament report designated the Church of Scientology as a dangerous sect.

In 2009, a case went to trial in France, after a woman claims to have been pressured into paying €21,000 ($29,400) to the Church of Scientology for lessons, books and medicines for her poor mental state, accusing the Church of Scientology of "organised fraud". Her lawyers argue that the church systematically seeks to make money through mental pressure and use scientifically dubious cures. Coincidentally, a large scale simplification of the laws in France occurred just prior to the beginning of the trial. Suspicion was raised as the new law revision forbids the dissolution of a legal entity, an unadvertised change among hundreds of others. Dissolution was the main sentence requested by the prosecutor against the Church of Scientology in this trial, becoming unlawful as the law changed. On October 27, 2009, a verdict was rendered: six members of the CoS in France, and the Church itself, were convicted of fraud. Four of these, including Alain Rosenberg, were given suspended prison sentences. The Scientology Celebrity Center in Paris, a Scientology bookstore, and all six individual convicts were ordered to pay fines. The plaintiff's request for dissolution of the Church was not fulfilled.

Russia
On April 5, 2007, the Church of Scientology of Moscow won a judgment against the Russian government establishing its right to recognition as a religious organization. The European Court of Human Rights held that the government's refusal of registration "had no lawful basis ... the Moscow authorities did not act in good faith and neglected their duty of neutrality and impartiality vis-à-vis the applicant's religious community."

Sweden
In 1996, Zenon Panoussis of Sweden published some of the confidential NOTs documents online and the Church of Scientology sued Panoussis for copyright infringement. In his defense, Panoussis used a provision of the Constitution of Sweden that guarantees access to public documents. Panoussis turned over a copy of the NOTs documents to the office of the Swedish Parliament and, by law, copies of all documents (with few exceptions) received by authorities are available for anyone from the public to see, at any time he or she wishes. This, known as the Principle of Public Access (Offentlighetsprincipen), is considered a basic civil right in Sweden. The case, however, was decided against Panoussis and he was ordered to pay $164,000 for infringing copyright. The results of the case sparked a legal firestorm in Sweden that debated the necessity of re-writing part of the Constitution.

In 1997, the Church of Scientology engaged Sonny Bono, then a member of the United States House of Representatives who had studied Scientology in the 1970s and 1980s, to pressure US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky to pressure Sweden to change their law permitting free access to any published work regardless of copyright. Along with pressure from Congress, the State Department and the Commerce Department, Sweden agreed to pass tougher copyright protection laws.

Switzerland
In several cases between 1995 and 2000, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland consistently ruled that the Church of Scientology was a primarily commercial, rather than religious, organization, and in 2003 upheld a decision to force closure of a Scientology-affiliated school.

In 1998, three Scientologists were convicted and jailed on fraud and usury charges after conning a member out of $80,000 for courses.

United Kingdom
Hubbard v Vosper (1972) was a copyright case involving the book The Mind Benders authored by Cyril Vosper that contained numerous excerpts from Scientology writings. Using the fair dealing defence, Vosper won his case on appeal.

Bonnie Woods, a former member who began counseling people involved with Scientology and their families, became a target along with her husband Richard in 1993 when the Church of Scientology started a leaflet operation denouncing her as a "hate campaigner" with demonstrators outside their home and around East Grinstead. She and her family were followed by a private investigator, and a creditor of theirs was located and provided free legal assistance to sue them into bankruptcy. After a long battle of libel suits, in 1999 the church agreed in a settlement to issue an apology and pay £55,000 damages and £100,000 costs to the Woods.

Paulette Cooper
After writing an article and publishing a book about the Church of Scientology in 1971, journalist Paulette Cooper was sued 19 times as part of the Church's Operation Freakout, and almost successfully framed in 1976 for crimes. The plan was foiled when in 1977 the FBI raided several Scientology offices, seizing over 48,000 documents, which detailed the operation against Cooper.

Guardian's Office convictions

In a 1979 criminal case against 11 high-ranking Church officials regarding Operation Snow White, the largest then-known program of domestic espionage in U.S. history, all were convicted.

Gerry Armstrong
In 1984, the church began a legal battle with Gerry Armstrong that spanned two decades. The church sued Armstrong for providing confidential documents about L. Ron Hubbard to his own attorney. The court found that Armstrong's actions were justifiable and affirmed this conclusion in Church of Scientology v. Gerald Armstrong. Armstrong settled his counter-claims with the church in December 1986 for $800,000 in exchange for his agreement to keep confidential his experience with the church. The church sued Armstrong for $10.5 million in 1995 and 2002 for allegedly violating the confidentiality agreement in 131 instances. A California appellate court awarded the church $321,923 in damages and $334,671.75 in attorneys fees in 1995, and $500,000 in damages in 2004. The court noted that "Armstrong makes no claim that he has complied, or will ever comply, with the injunction" and that Armstrong claims to now reside in Canada.

War with the IRS
From the time its tax exemption was removed by the IRS in 1967 to the reinstatement of the tax exemption in 1993, Scientologists filed approximately 2,500 lawsuits against the IRS. Over fifty lawsuits were still active against the IRS in 1993, although these were settled after the church negotiated a tax exemption with the government.

Cult Awareness Network
The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was driven into bankruptcy in 1996 in part by a number of Scientology-related lawsuits. As the TV news program 60 Minutes reported in 1997, Scientologists filed over fifty lawsuits against the non-profit organization, which spent over $2 million on its legal defense. After one court handed down a judgment of $1 million against CAN, the organization filed for bankruptcy and auctioned off its assets, which were purchased for $20,000 by a lawyer affiliated with Scientology.

Time magazine
In May 1991, Time magazine published a cover story on Scientology entitled "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power". The Church responded by suing Time and journalist Richard Behar for $400 million; a five-year legal battle ensued in which Time spent approximately $7 million defending itself in court. The case was eventually dismissed in the magazine's favor. Scientology unsuccessfully sued Reader's Digest in Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany to stop distribution of a condensed version of the Time story.

Hill & Knowlton and Eli Lilly
The PR firm Hill & Knowlton (H&K) was hired by the Church of Scientology in 1987. Right after the devastating Time magazine article The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power was published, H&K dropped them as a client. In 1992, the Church of Scientology sued H&K and Eli Lilly for $40 million claiming H&K had illegally terminated the contract because of pressure exerted upon their parent company WPP Group by Eli Lilly, which Scientology had been attacking through its branch group, Citizens Commission on Human Rights. In 1994, after 57,000 pages of discovery and 75 depositions, the parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount or conditions.

Scientology versus the Internet
Scientology has filed lawsuits against a number of Internet users, The Washington Post newspaper, over fifteen various Internet service providers in The Netherlands, and others concerned in the matter of Karin Spaink, a supporter of Arnie Lerma and other Internet activists who posted on her Web page excerpts from Scientology's confidential works. This legal case included claims by Scientology that hyperlinks to alleged copyright infringements were also illegal. Spaink's case was taken all the way to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands; however, the Court rejected Scientology's claims in their entirety, including the claims regarding hyperlinks.

FACTNet
In 1998, Scientology sued FACTNet for claimed copyright violations. When federal judge John Kane denied Scientology's request for summary judgment because FACTNet challenged Scientology's ownership of the copyrights of the documents, a settlement was reached in 1999. The terms were that if FACTNet is ever found guilty of violations of church copyrights, they are permanently enjoined to pay the church $1 million.

Lisa McPherson
When the Church was charged with a felony count of practicing medicine without a license in the 1996 case involving the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson, Florida asked for damages of approximately $15,000 to be awarded against the organization. The Church hired law firms and medical specialists at an estimated cost of over $1 million, waging a defense that eventually resulted in the case being dismissed due to lack of credible evidence. On May 29, 2004, the Church paid an undisclosed amount to settle a wrongful death suit brought on behalf of McPherson's estate. An article on the suit describes legal attacks made by Scientology's attorneys: "Dandar has persevered through a seemingly endless barrage of legal attacks. There have been nine attempts to disqualify him, and four attempts to remove Lisa's aunt, Dell Liebreich, as executor of Lisa's estate. Scientology attorneys have filed bar complaints against both him and Lirot, lawsuits against Lisa's family, and motions to remove judges and move the case to other venues. When asked how going up against Scientology compares to normal litigation, Lirot replied, 'It's like comparing LSD to orange juice.' ... The wrongful death case went through four judges in seven years."

Larry Wollersheim
In the case of Wollersheim vs. Church of Scientology (1980), former member Larry Wollersheim sued the organization for mental distress, and was awarded $30 million in damages. On appeal, the award was reduced to $2.5 million. In 1996, Wollersheim was awarded an additional $130,506.71 in attorney's fees incurred while defending against a church lawsuit that was dismissed for violating a California law prohibiting strategic lawsuits against public participation. The Church vowed not to pay the award, and the case dragged through the courts for 22 years, including two separate appeals to the Supreme Court of the United States and two additional appeals to the Supreme Court of California. In early 2002, the case was finally settled, with the Church of Scientology paying Larry Wollersheim $8,674,643.

Netcom
Religious Technology Center v. Netcom On-Line Communication Services, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 1995), is a U.S. district court case about whether the operator of a computer bulletin board service ("BBS") and Internet access provider that allows that BBS to reach the Internet should be liable for copyright infringement committed by a subscriber of the BBS.

Others

 * Religious Technology Center v. Gerbode
 * In Religious Technology Center v. Gerbode, 1994 WL 228607 (C.D. Cal. 1994) (against Frank A. Gerbode, inventor of Traumatic Incident Reduction), a Rule 11 sanction of $8,887.50 was imposed against Helena Kobrin, an attorney for the Church, for bringing baseless and frivolous claims.

 * DeCrescenzo v. Church of Scientology International
 * In DeCrescenzo v. Church of Scientology International, Laura DeCrescenzo sued the organization in 2010 for forcing her to illegally work 14 hour days at age 12 and coercing her to get an abortion at age 17. In 2018, Scientology settled with DeCrescenzo three weeks before the case went to trial.

 * Garcia Saz et al v. Church of Scientology Religious Trust et al
 * In 2013, former Scientology members Luis and Rocio Garcia sued the Church, alleging fraudulent tactics. U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore granted the Church's motion to compel the couple into internal "religious arbitration" per the contracts the Garcias had previously signed with the Church. The Church had not established any rules for how to conduct arbitrations and had never before held such an arbitration. For 2½ years the Church objected to each arbiter the Garcias suggested. Eventually the judge selected three Scientologists at random from a list of 500 provided by the Church and the two-day arbitration was held in 2017. The Garcias were not allowed to have an attorney present, bring witnesses, or record the proceedings, and a Church official removed all but 70 pages of the 900 pages of evidence the Garcias submitted. Their attorney called the arbitration "a sham". According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, "The panel ultimately refunded the Garcias $18,495 for unused deposits on religious services but did not acknowledge the claims of fraud, misrepresentation or breach of contract."

 * Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson
 * In 2019, plaintiffs Chrissie Carnell Bixler, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Bobette Riales, and Jane Does #1 and #2 filed a civil suit against actor Danny Masterson for rape, and against the Church of Scientology for systematically stalking them after they went to the police. After a setback when a judge ruled they would have to "take their claims before an ecclesiastical tribunal composed of three Scientologists deemed to be in good standing with the church," the California Court of Appeal ruled that the plaintiffs could keep arguing their case in court. Meanwhile, Masterson was criminally charged with forcible rape, the parties agreed that discovery in the civil suit should be delayed pending the outcome of the criminal case, and in 2023 Masterson was convicted on two charges of rape. Even though the Church of Scientology wasn't a party in the criminal trial, it came to light that the Church had been actively interfering with the criminal case, including harassing the prosecutor as well as the LAPD witnesses. In December 2023, the plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, adding a sixth complainant, Tricia Vessey, and adding civil RICO claims against the Church of Scientology.

 * Valerie Haney v. Scientology
 * After 22 years in Scientology's Sea Org, Valerie Haney escaped from Gold Base in 2016 by secretly climbing into the trunk of a visitor's car to get out of the compound unnoticed. In 2019, Haney sued Scientology for holding her against her will, libeling her online, and stalking her using private investigators after she left the Church. In 2020, a judge ordered her to "religious arbitration" per contracts she had earlier signed. Unable to come to any agreements about arbiters, in 2023 the judge ordered the parties to get it done. Scientology picked three arbiters, but would not tell Haney or the court their names. The judge denied plaintiff's motion to allow an attorney, a court reporter, or even a friend to attend with Haney. Per Haney, "The court is OK with me having to go back to the place where I literally had to escape in the trunk of a car to get out? ... It's the worst thing you could probably have a victim do. ... Someone who has been abused her entire life, to go back into the abusive environment with the abusers. It's appalling. And absolutely disgusting. It's so crazy."

 * Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology
 * In 2022, Gawain Baxter, his wife Laura Baxter, and Valeska Paris filed suit against the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige alleging six counts of forced labor and peonage in violation of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Since childhood, all three had been held captive for years on the Scientology ship Freewinds, with their passports and identification documents confiscated. Gawain Baxter alleged he was held captive on the ship for 14 more years after he tried to leave the organization at age 15. Valeska Paris alleged she was sexually assaulted in the Sea Org since childhood, but was punished whenever she tried to report the incidents. She spent 11 years working on the ship, and was then sent to Scientology's work camp in Australia. Laura Baxter alleged cruel abuse, forced confessions and manual labor. She deliberately got pregnant and refused an abortion in order to be kicked out of the Sea Org. Deliberately evading service, in 2023 after plaintiff's lawyers attempted 27 times at multiple sites in California and Florida to serve Miscavige, a judge finally ruled Miscavige as served. On April 3, six weeks after the magistrate ruled Miscavige as served, US District Judge Tom Barber ruled in favor of the first amendment, saying in his order that the plaintiffs must seek relief from Church arbitration and not the courts. Ruling on the case would require the courts to interpret religious doctrine, which is against the first amendment, said Barber.

 * Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter
 * In December 2022, a Jane Doe filed suit against Scientology leader David Miscavige, recruiter Gavin Potter and three church entities claiming that as a minor the Church enabled one of their recruiters to sexually assault her. After she reported the incident, not only did Scientology fail to report the allegations to police but she was given the ultimatum of going to Scientology's prison work camp, the RPF, for five years or marry her abuser. The case alleges Scientology even transported her out of state to Nevada where an underage marriage was possible, and that Scientology officials "knew ... of Gavin Potter's unlawful sexual conduct, that he was an unfit agent, and still placed him in a position to solicit young girls into an environment in which sexual assault and battery were commonplace." Accusing David Miscavige of "service dodging", Judge Broadbelt ruled in February 2024 that the plaintiff must exhaust all options before being allowed to serve Miscavige by publication. On April 15, 2024, Judge Broadbelt posted a tentative ruling in favor of the plaintiff when he found Scientology's religious arbitration contract "unconscionable". The following morning, Miscavige—effectively accepting service in the case for the first time—sent his lawyer to the courthouse to file a peremptory challenge to disqualify the judge, causing Broadbelt to step aside.

 * Leah Remini v. Scientology
 * In 2023, Leah Remini filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige claiming defamation, harassment, stalking and tortious interference with a contractual relationship (Remini's business relationships), seeking compensatory and punitive damages for economic and psychological harm. Remini claimed she had been stalked, surveilled, harassed, threatened, intimidated, and subjected to intentionally malicious and fraudulent rumors. Remini's family and friends had also been subjected to the harassment, and in 2015 Remini hired bodyguards fearing for her physical safety. "For 17 years, Scientology and David Miscavige have subjected me to what I believe to be psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, significantly impacting my life and career", Remini said. In January 2024, the lawsuit survived an anti-SLAPP motion by the Church of Scientology, though the judge removed some of the defamation claims which occurred prior to the one-year statute of limitations, kept some where the defendants published false claims "with at least a reckless disregard of the facts", and rejected Scientology's argument that their early surveillance of Remini was a "pre-litigation stance". Accused of "service dodging", in February 2024 judge Hammock told David Miscavige's lawyer, "He should just appear, and defend himself."

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Scientology and law


text:
Parallel processing (psychology)

In psychology, parallel processing is the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli of differing quality. Parallel processing is associated with the visual system in that the brain divides what it sees into four components: color, motion, shape, and depth. These are individually analyzed and then compared to stored memories, which helps the brain identify what you are viewing. The brain then combines all of these into the field of view that is then seen and comprehended. This is a continual and seamless operation. For example, if one is standing between two different groups of people who are simultaneously carrying on two different conversations, one may be able to pick up only some information of both conversations at the same time. Parallel processing has been linked, by some experimental psychologists, to the stroop effect (resulting from the stroop test where there is a mismatch between the name of a color and the color that the word is written in). In the stroop effect, an inability to attend to all stimuli is seen through people's selective attention.

Background
In 1990, American Psychologist David Rumelhart proposed the model of parallel distributed processing (PDP) in hopes of studying neural processes through computer simulations. According to Rumelhart, the PDP model represents information processing as interactions between elements called units, with the interactions being either excitatory or inhibitory in nature. Parallel Distributed Processing Models are neurally inspired, emulating the organisational structure of nervous systems of living organisms. A general mathematical framework is provided for them.

Parallel processing models assume that information is represented in the brain using patterns of activation. Information processing encompasses the interactions of neuron-like units linked by synapse-like connections. These can be either excitatory or inhibitory. Every individual unit's activation level is updated using a function of connection strengths and activation level of other units. A set of response units is activated by the propagation of activation patterns. The connection weights are eventually adjusted using learning.

Serial vs parallel processing
In contrast to parallel processing, serial processing involves sequential processing of information, without any overlap of processing times. The distinction between these two processing models is most observed during visual stimuli is targeted and processed (also called visual search).

Visual search
In case of serial processing, the elements are searched one after the other in a serial order to find the target. When the target is found, the search terminates. Alternatively, it continues to the end to ensure that the target is not present. This results in reduced accuracy and increased time for displays with more objects.

On the other hand, in the case of parallel processing, all objects are processed simultaneously but the completion times may vary. This may or may not reduce the accuracy, but the time courses are similar irrespective of the size of the display.

However, there are concerns about the efficiency of parallel processing models in case of complex tasks which are discussed ahead in this article.

Aspects of a parallel distributed processing model
There are eight major aspects of a parallel distributed processing model:

Processing units
These units may include abstract elements such as features, shapes and words, and are generally categorised into three types: input, output and hidden units.

 * Input units receive signals from either sensory stimuli or other parts of the processing system.
 * The output units send signals out of the system.
 * The hidden units function entirely inside the system.

Activation state
This is a representation of the state of the system. The pattern of activation is represented using a vector of N real numbers, over the set of processing units. It is this pattern that captures what the system is representing at any time.

Output functions
An output function maps the current state of activation to an output signal. The units interact with their neighbouring units by transmitting signals. The strengths of these signals are determined by their degree of activation. This in turn affects the degree to which they affect their neighbours.

Connectivity patterns
The pattern of connectivity determines how the system will react to an arbitrary input. The total pattern of connectivity is represented by specifying the weights for every connection. A positive weight represents an excitatory input and a negative weight represents an inhibitory input.

Propagation rule
A net input is produced for each type of input using rules that take the output vector and combine it with the connectivity matrices. In the case of a more complex pattern connectivity, the rules are more complex too.

Activation rule
A new state of activation is produced for every unit by joining the net inputs of impinging units combined and the current state of activation for that unit.

Learning rule
The patterns of connectivity are modified using experience. The modifications can be of three types: First, the development of new connections. Second, the loss of existing connection. Last, the modification of strengths of connections that already exist. The first two can be considered as special cases of the last one. When the strength of a connection is changed from zero to a positive or negative one, it is like forming a new connection. When the strength of a connection is changed to zero, it is like losing an existing connection.

Environmental representation
In PDP models, the environment is represented as a time-varying stochastic function over the space of input patterns. This means that at any given point, there is a possibility that any of the possible set of input patterns is impinging on the input units.

An example of the PDP model is illustrated in Rumelhart's book 'Parallel Distributed Processing' of individuals who live in the same neighborhood and are part of different gangs. Other information is also included, such as their names, age group, marital status, and occupations within their respective gangs. Rumelhart considered each category as a 'unit' and an individual has connections with each unit. For instance, if more information is sought on an individual named Ralph, that name unit is activiated, revealing connections to the other properties of Ralph such as his marital status or age group.

Depth
To sense depth, humans use both eyes to see three dimensional objects. This sense is present at birth in humans and some animals, such as cats, dogs, owls, and monkeys. Animals with wider-set eyes have a harder time establishing depth, such as horses and cows. A special depth test was used on infants, named The Visual Cliff. This test consisted of a table, half coated in a checkerboard pattern, and the other half a clear plexiglass sheet, revealing a second checkerboard platform about a foot below. Although the plexiglass was safe to climb on, the infants refused to cross over due to the perception of a visual cliff. This test proved that most infants already have a good sense of depth. This phenomenon is similar to how adults perceive heights.

Certain cues help establish depth perception. Binocular cues are made by humans' two eyes, which are subconsciously compared to calculate distance. This idea of two separate images is used by 3-D and VR filmmakers to give two dimensional footage the element of depth. Monocular cues can be used by a single eye with hints from the environment. These hints include relative height, relative size, linear perspective, lights and shadows, and relative motion. Each hint helps to establish small facts about a scene that work together to form a perception of depth. Binocular cues and monocular cues are used constantly and subconsciously to sense depth.

Limitations
Limitations of parallel processing have been brought up in several analytical studies. The main limitations highlighted include capacity limits of the brain, attentional blink rate interferences, limited processing capabilities, and information limitations in visual searches.

There are processing limits to the brain in the execution of complex tasks like object recognition. All parts of the brain cannot process at full capacity in a parallel method. Attention controls the allocation of resources to the tasks. To work efficiently, attention must be guided from object to object.

These limits to attentional resources sometimes lead to serial bottlenecks in parallel processing, meaning that parallel processing is obstructed by serial processing in between. However, there is evidence for coexistence of serial and parallel processes.

Feature integration theory
The feature integration theory by Anne Treisman is one of the theories that integrates serial and parallel processing while taking into account attentional resources. It consists of two stages-

 * 1) Detection of features- This stage occurs instantaneously and uses parallel processing. In this step, all the basic features of a display are picked up simultaneously, even if attention is being paid to a specific object.
 * 2) Integration of features- This step is more time-consuming and uses serial processing. It leads to the perception of whole objects and patterns.

title: Parallel processing (psychology)


text:
Eva, Alabama

Eva is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 589, up from 519 in 2010. The mayor currently is Gary Livingston.

History
Originally called "Cowhead", the town began to be settled in 1820, just a year after Alabama achieved statehood. William J. Rook began a post office in Cowhead in 1883; however, it was closed a month later. According to local lore, at a community meeting, the town received its current name "Eva" in October 1883 at the suggestion of a local physician, Dr. Lewis Keller, who had just delivered a beautiful baby girl by that name, Eva Brandon. He liked that name because like the girl, the town was just getting started. After discussion, the community agreed upon the name Eva because the town needed a new name as a prerequisite for establishing a new post office. It was not until 1887 that the town's name was officially changed from Cowhead.

In 1916, Mr. Wiley Steward, local sawmill owner, donated 5 acre of land to the town, for the construction of a new school. In 1918, using donations from the local community, Eva gazed with admiration upon a beautiful new four-room schoolhouse. As time went by, the need for higher educational training for the community was realized. In an effort spearheaded by local physician J. G. Daves, later deemed "the father of Eva School", in the 1920s a community campaign was set forth to raise the necessary funds to build another school. Even the Great Depression could not hold this thriving community down from its dream of higher education for its children.

It was a community undertaking, but the fairy tale dream of a resolute community was realized in 1930, when Eva became a proud possessor of an accredited high school and held graduation exercises with a senior class composed of three members.

The community forged ahead and in its desire to add to the curriculum of the school, through local donations, added a vocational agriculture building, elementary building, and in 1938 completed a large stone gymnasium.

In 1972, with the opening of Albert P. Brewer High School in Florette, Eva High School was consolidated into this new east regional Morgan County High School facility.

In 1996, the Morgan County Board of Education, through a capital funds campus upgrade, demolished the old school buildings, excluding the gymnasium that was constructed in 1985 and the old lunchroom building, constructed in the mid 1960s. The campus was rebuilt, with a beautiful new modern K-8 building. Today, Eva School, as it has done for a century, continues to serve as source of pride for the Eva community.

Eva incorporated as a town in 1963.

Geography
Eva is located in southeastern Morgan County at 34.32528°N, -86.74778°W (34.325209, -86.747722). Its southern border touches the border with Cullman County. It is 15 mi southeast of Hartselle and 28 mi south-southeast of Decatur, the Morgan county seat. Cullman is 13 mi to the southwest, and Arab is 18 mi to the east.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Eva has a total area of 4.3 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.74%, are water. The town center, at an elevation of 1105 ft above sea level, is just north of the Tennessee Valley Divide. The town drains west toward Flint Creek and east toward Cotaco Creek, both of which are north-flowing tributaries of the Tennessee River. The southernmost parts of town drain south to Eightmile Creek, a tributary of the Broglen River and part of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River watershed.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 491 people, 194 households, and 152 families residing in the town. The population density was 168.0 PD/sqmi. There were 213 housing units at an average density of 72.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.37% White, 0.20% Native American, and 1.43% from two or more races. 0.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 194 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,958, and the median income for a family was $45,781. Males had a median income of $32,159 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,069. About 7.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Edsel Ford, poet

title: Eva, Alabama


text:
Falkville, Alabama

Falkville is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area and Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 1,197.

Falkville incorporated three times: first in 1876, again on June 19, 1886, and lastly on December 13, 1898.

History
Falkville was named for Louis M. Falk, a Prussian merchant who emigrated to the area in the late 1850s. Falk opened a general store in what is now Falkville in 1859 and later became the town's first postmaster. The L&N Railroad was constructed through Falkville in the early 1870s, and a rail station opened in 1872.

In 1936, the Works Progress Administration constructed a town hall for Falkville. This building now serves as the town's library.

1950s tornadoes
Two destructive tornadoes hit the town in the 1950s. On April 24, 1955, an F4 tornado tore directly through the town, killing five and injuring 20. Two years later, on April 8, 1957, a long-tracked F3 tornado hit the southern part of town. That storm killed two and injured 90.

Geography
Falkville is located in southern Morgan County at 34.37194°N, -86.90833°W (34.371919, -86.908381). The town is concentrated along U.S. Route 31, 5 mi south of Hartselle. Interstate 65 forms the eastern edge of the town, with access from Exit 322. Decatur, the Morgan county seat, is 18 mi to the north, Huntsville is 40 mi to the northeast, and Cullman is 14 mi to the south.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Falkville has a total area of 3.8 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.47%, are water. The town is drained by Robinson Creek and Painter Branch, west-flowing tributaries of Flint Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the Tennessee River.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 1,202 people, 365 households, and 254 families in the town. The population density was 326.3 PD/sqmi. There were 390 housing units at an average density of 105.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.26% White, 5.91% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.08% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 365 households 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.8% of households were one person and 12.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94.

The age distribution was 16.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 20.7% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.9% 65 or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.3 males.

The median household income was $34,583 and the median family income was $40,759. Males had a median income of $29,231 versus $23,365 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,510. About 5.5% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 31.7% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 1,279 people, 387 households, and 274 families in the town. The population density was 345.7 PD/sqmi. There were 437 housing units at an average density of 118.1 per square mile (46/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 92.1% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 2.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 387 households 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 25.6% of households were one person and 10.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 18.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.6% 65 or older. The median age was 48.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 68.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median household income was $36,848 and the median family income was $44,150. Males had a median income of $35,450 versus $21,635 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,850. About 7.9% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,197 people, 392 households, and 260 families residing in the town.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Falkville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notable people

 * Tom Drake, attorney, former professional wrestler, politician, and former member of the athletic staff of football coach Bear Bryant
 * Roy Drinkard, businessman
 * Rodney Jones, poet

title: Falkville, Alabama


text:
Hartselle, Alabama

Hartselle is the second largest city in Morgan County, Alabama, United States, 13 mi south of Decatur. It is part of the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area.

As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 15,455. Hartselle was founded in 1869 with the arrival of the South and North Alabama Railroad. It takes its name from George Hartsell, one of the railroad's owners. The post office opened in 1873. It was formally incorporated on March 1, 1875. Most of the oldest buildings were destroyed by a disastrous fire in 1916.

Geography
Hartselle is located in western Morgan County at 34.44028°N, -86.94028°W (34.440383, -86.940385). It is in the north-central part of the state along Interstate 65, which runs from south to north through the easternmost parts of the city, with access from exits 325 and 328. Via I-65, Huntsville is 34 mi northeast (via a connection to I-565), and Birmingham is 70 mi south. U.S. Route 31 is the main north-south highway through the center of town, leading north 13 mi to Decatur, the Morgan county seat, and south 20 mi to Cullman. Alabama State Route 36, Main Street, is the main east-west route through downtown, leading east 23 mi to Lacey's Spring and west the same distance to Moulton.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Hartselle has a total area of 16.7 sqmi, of which 0.1 sqmi, or 0.53%, are water.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 12,019 people, 4,816 households, and 3,534 families living in the city. The population density was 809.0 PD/sqmi. There were 5,170 housing units at an average density of 348.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 92.25% White, 5.16% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 4,814 households 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.4% of households were one person and 11.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median household income was $40,461 and the median family income was $47,685. Males had a median income of $40,211 versus $24,124 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,727. About 6.6% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 14,255 people, 5,678 households, and 4,128 families living in the city. The population density was 956.7 PD/sqmi. There were 6,076 housing units at an average density of 407.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 2.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 5,678 households 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.4% of households were one person and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

The median household income was $47,306 and the median family income was $57,585. Males had a median income of $47,343 versus $28,855 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,746. About 9.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,455 people, 5,518 households, and 3,930 families residing in the city.

Notable people

 * Jill Alper, electoral strategist
 * Wilford S. Bailey, former NCAA president and former Auburn University president
 * Scott Beason, member of Alabama Senate from 2006 to 2014
 * Jay Burleson, filmmaker
 * William Bradford Huie, journalist, editor, publisher and author
 * Don Logan, former chairman of Time Warner Media and Communications Group, owner of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society
 * Mortal Treason, Christian metal band
 * Harold Raley, American hispanist
 * Tommy Ed Roberts, businessman and legislator
 * Destin Sandlin, YouTuber and USAF engineer
 * John Sparkman, congressman, senator, and 1952 vice-presidential nominee
 * Steve Woodard, former MLB pitcher
 * Robert H. York, U.S. Army lieutenant general

title: Hartselle, Alabama


text:
Priceville, Alabama

Priceville is the third largest municipality in Morgan County, Alabama, United States and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The 2020 census counted a population of 3,513, up from 2,658 in 2010.

Priceville was incorporated in 1975.

History
Priceville was settled in the 1820s and is named for the Price family, who played prominent roles in its early history. The community remained sparsely populated until the 1950s, when the construction of Interstate 65 brought rapid economic expansion.

Geography
Priceville is located in northern Morgan County at 34.52111°N, -86.87972°W (34.521001, -86.879678). It is bordered to the west by Decatur, the county seat. State Route 67 runs through the town center, leading northwest 9 mi to the center of Decatur and southeast 6 mi to Somerville. Interstate 65 passes through the western portion of Priceville, connecting the town with Cullman 26 mi to the south and Athens 19 mi to the north. The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is situated between Priceville and Decatur. The Tennessee River (Wheeler Lake) passes just north of Priceville.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.9 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.52%, are water. Ginhouse Branch runs through the center of town, flowing north to the Tennessee River.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,512 people, 1,204 households, and 945 families residing in the town.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,658 people, 620 households, and 518 families residing in the town. The population density was 316.2 PD/sqmi. There were 637 housing units at an average density of 123.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.89% White, 2.27% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 620 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.2% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,875, and the median income for a family was $55,885. Males had a median income of $37,679 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,056. About 2.2% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: Priceville, Alabama


text:
Somerville, Alabama

Somerville is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 796.

History
Somerville was the county seat of Morgan County from 1818 to 1891, when the seat was moved to Decatur. The town was named for Robert M. Summerville, an officer killed in 1814 during the Creek War. Initially incorporated on December 3, 1819, it is a few days older than the state. After its loss of the county seat in the 1890s, its incorporation lapsed. It was reorganized (reincorporated) on December 1, 1955.

Geography
Somerville is located in central Morgan County at 34.47°N, -86.79889°W (34.469961, -86.798782), along Alabama State Route 67, which leads northwest 15 mi to Decatur and southeast 18 mi to the edge of Baileyton.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.5 sqmi, of which 0.005 sqmi, or 0.14%, are water. Somerville is drained by Town Creek, which flows east to Cotaco Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the Tennessee River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 347 people, 148 households, and 97 families residing in the town. The population density was 339.9 PD/sqmi. There were 160 housing units at an average density of 156.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.35% White, 5.76% Black or African American, 1.73% Native American, 0.29% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 148 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $29,107 versus $18,958 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,747. About 13.3% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 32.1% of those age 65 or over.

Mayor and city council
Mayor
 * Darren Tucker

City Council
 * Place 1: Josh Melson
 * Place 2: Ron Jones
 * Place 3: Michael Rea
 * Place 4: Carl Flemons
 * Place 5: Jackie Teague

Notable people

 * Josiah Patterson, congressman from 1891 to 1897
 * Malcolm R. Patterson, governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911
 * Joseph Humphrey Sloss, congressman from 1871 to 1875
 * Ryan Williams, theoretical computer scientist
 * Gary Winton, former basketball player for the United States Military Academy

title: Somerville, Alabama


text:
Trinity, Alabama

Trinity is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area and the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 2,526, up from 2,095 in 2010. It was incorporated in 1901.

History
Trinity was developed in the 1810s as area plantation owners built houses atop Trinity Mountain to escape the mosquito-infested lowlands. A post office operated at Trinity from 1848 to 1853. The post office reopened under the name "Trinity Station" in 1866. The town incorporated in 1901, and changed its name to simply "Trinity" two years later.

Geography
Trinity is located in northwestern Morgan County across a scattered area mostly between U.S. Route 72 on the north and State Route 24 to the south (though the town's municipal boundaries extend slightly beyond each road). Decatur lies just to the east, and Wheeler Lake (part of the Tennessee River) lies to the north. The southern parts of the town are located atop Trinity Mountain, a broad ridge that rises several hundred feet above the surrounding terrain. The town is bordered to the west by Lawrence County.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 sqmi, of which 0.008 sqmi, or 0.16%, are water.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 1,841 people, 691 households, and 563 families living in the town. The population density was 508.5 PD/sqmi. There were 728 housing units at an average density of 201.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 88.00% White, 9.61% Black or African American, 1.25% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 691 households 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 16.2% of households were one person and 6.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.96.

The age distribution was 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median household income was $54,271 and the median family income was $60,139. Males had a median income of $43,393 versus $27,552 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,467. About 4.6% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 2,095 people, 783 households, and 647 families living in the town. The population density was 581.9 PD/sqmi. There were 823 housing units at an average density of 228.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 88.6% White, 6.7% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 3.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 783 households 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 14.6% of households were one person and 5.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% 65 or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

The median household income was $61,060 and the median family income was $71,818. Males had a median income of $54,250 versus $34,205 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,628. About .9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,526 people, 871 households, and 637 families residing in the town.

title: Trinity, Alabama


text:
Marion, Alabama

Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.

Two colleges, Judson College and Marion Military Institute, are located in Marion. This is noted in the city's welcome sign referring to Marion as "The College City".

Of the 573 cities in Alabama, Marion is the 152nd most populous.

Early history
Formerly the territory of the Creek Indians, Marion was founded shortly after 1819 as Muckle Ridge. In 1822 the city was renamed in honor of Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," hero of the American Revolutionary War. Marion incorporated as a town the same year and later became Perry County's second county seat as the hamlet of Perry Ridge was deemed unsuitable. In 1829 it upgraded from a town to a city. The old City Hall (1832) is but one of many antebellum public buildings, churches, and homes in the city today.

General Sam Houston, while between terms as 1st and 3rd president of the Republic of Texas, married Margaret Lea of Marion in the city in 1840.

At the 1844 meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention in Marion, the "Alabama Resolutions" were passed. This was one of the factors that led to the 1845 formation of the Southern Baptist Convention in Augusta, Georgia.

Founding of colleges
Judson College, a private, Baptist college for women, was founded in 1838 and closed July 31, 2021. Marion Military Institute was founded in 1887. Howard College, initially the location of the current Marion Military Institute, was founded in Marion in 1841, and moved to Birmingham in 1887, later becoming Samford University. A groundbreaking school for African Americans, the Lincoln Normal School, was founded here in 1867. The associated Lincoln Normal University for Teachers moved to Montgomery and became Alabama State University. In 1889, Marion Military Institute was chartered by the State of Alabama and today is the oldest military junior college in the nation.

Pre-Civil War
In December 1857, Andrew Barry Moore (1807–1873) of Marion was elected the sixteenth governor of Alabama (1857–1861). He served one term, presiding over Alabama's secession from the Union. Assisting in the war effort, Moore was imprisoned a short time after the war and in ill health returned to Marion, where he died eight years later. George Doherty Johnson (May 30, 1832 – December 8, 1910) served as mayor of Marion in 1856, state legislator from 1857 to 1858 and rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War.

Civil War era
Nicola Marschall (1829–1917), a German-American artist, is generally credited with designing both the first official Confederate flag and the grey Confederate army uniform while a teacher at the old Marion Female Seminary. With the coming Civil War in 1861, Nicola Marschall was approached in February by Mary Clay Lockett, wife of prominent attorney Napoleon Lockett of Marion, and her daughter, Fannie Lockett Moore, daughter-in-law of Alabama Governor Andrew B. Moore of Marion, to design a flag for the new Confederacy. Marschall offered three designs, one of which became the "Stars and Bars," the first official flag of the Confederate States of America (C.S.A.), first raised in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 4, 1861.

Early 20th century
At the turn of the century in 1900, Perry County peaked in population at 31,783. This is three times the population of the county in the 2010 census.

Hal Kemp, a jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer and arranger was born in Marion in 1904 and died in Madera, California, following an auto accident in 1940. His band was very popular from 1934 until 1939. Major recordings in 1936 include "There's a Small Hotel" and "When I'm With You" both number one hits for two weeks. In 1937, his number one hits were "This Year's Kisses", which was number one for four weeks, and "Where or When", number one for one week. Other noted recordings were "Got a Date With an Angel" and "Three Little Fishies". In 1992, Hal Kemp was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Coretta Scott King, wife of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was born in Marion in 1927 and spent her childhood there. She graduated from Lincoln Normal School as valedictorian in 1945. The couple got married on the front lawn of her mother's home north of Marion in 1953.

Civil Rights era
A number of significant events occurred in Marion relating to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1958 Jimmy Wilson, a black man, was sentenced to death by a jury in Marion for stealing $1.95 from Estelle Barker. Wilson's case became an international cause célèbre, covered in newspapers worldwide and inspiring over 1000 letters per day to the office of governor Jim Folsom. Finally, after the Alabama Supreme Court upheld Wilson's conviction, at the urging of the Congress of Racial Equality, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles wrote to Folsom explaining the damage that the case was doing to the international reputation of the United States and Folsom quickly granted Wilson clemency.

In 1964, Marion was a center of civil rights protests in Alabama. During a Southern Christian Leadership Conference march on the evening of February 18, 1965, during the height of the Selma Voting Rights Movement, Marion resident Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot and killed by Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler. These events were depicted in the movie Selma, released in 2014. Jackson died on February 26 of an infection stemming from his wounds at nearby Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma. Martin Luther King Jr. preached a sermon at Jackson's funeral on March 3, and Jackson's death is recognized as the catalyst for James Bevel to call and organize the first Selma to Montgomery March on March 7. It was not until 2007 that Fowler was indicted for murder for his role in Jackson's death. In 2010, Fowler pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

In 2018, the US Department of the Interior granted Beyond 50 Years – a community non-profit group in Marion – a $500,000.00 grant to convert the historic Perry County Jailhouse into a voting rights museum. The historic jailhouse was the location of Reverend James Orange's incarceration, which sparked the 1965 march that resulted in the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson. The jail is currently under renovation for the conversion into a museum, however a grand opening date has not yet been announced.

Recent events
In 2009, Marion made national news when a three-year-old family feud turned into a 150-man riot outside the town's city hall resulting in the arrest of eight people and the hospitalization of two.

In early 2016, the New York Times reported the city was the center of an outbreak of tuberculosis. In 2014–15 twenty people in the area had contracted active cases of the disease and three had died.

Historical structures
Marion has many historic structures, with most listed on historic registers directly or as contributing buildings. The Chapel and Lovelace Hall at Marion Military Institute, First Congregational Church of Marion, the Henry House, Marion Female Seminary, Phillips Memorial Auditorium, President's House at Marion Institute, Siloam Baptist Church are all individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has one National Historic Landmark, Kenworthy Hall. The city also has several historic districts, including the Green Street Historic District, Judson College Historic District, Marion Courthouse Square Historic District, and West Marion Historic District. Historic district buildings of special significance include examples such as Reverie.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 sqmi, of which 10.6 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.94%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,176 people, 1,055 households, and 407 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,686 people, 1,184 households, and 819 families residing in the city. The population density was 331.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,418 housing units at an average density of 134.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 63.9% Black or African American, 32.9% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,184 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,142, and the median income for a family was $29,663. Males had a median income of $27,422 versus $20,240 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,934. About 28.4% of families and 33.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 51.3% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Lee Cooke, fifty-first Mayor of Austin, Texas
 * Alexander H. Curtis (1829–1878), Reconstruction era Black politician; state legislator in the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama Senate
 * James Webb Curtis (1856–1921), Black physician, and volunteer military personnel in the Spanish–American War
 * T. J. Goree (1835–1905), Confederate Lieutenant and aide to Lt. General James Longstreet
 * Byron Gunner (1857–1922), American minister and activist; born and raised in Marion
 * Margaret Lea Houston (1819–1867), third wife of Sam Houston
 * Jimmie Lee Jackson (1938–1965), civil rights activist whose shooting death by a state trooper inspired the Selma to Montgomery marches
 * Hal Kemp, jazz bandleader, musician, arranger, and composer
 * Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr.
 * Porter King, thirty-fourth Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
 * Willie McClung (1930–2002), former NFL offensive lineman
 * Walthall M. Moore, politician and the first African American to serve in the Missouri state legislature
 * Jimmy Wilson, robber whose case received national attention

title: Marion, Alabama


text:
Uniontown, Alabama

Uniontown is a city in Perry County, Alabama, in west-central Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city is 2,107, up 18.7% over 2010. Of the 573 cities in Alabama, Uniontown is the 207th most populous.

Uniontown has four sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Fairhope Plantation, Pitts' Folly, the Uniontown Historic District, and Westwood.

History
First settled in 1818, the area that would become Uniontown was initially called Woodville after the first family settling there; the town was incorporated on December 23, 1836. Woodville was the terminus of one of the earliest plank roads (a road paved with wooden planks) in the state, which was constructed in 1848 and connected Woodville with Demopolis. The Alabama and Mississippi Railroad came through the town in 1857.

By 1860, the town had grown enough to support educational facilities for both boys and girls. In addition to the schools, the town had a number of businesses on its main street, including two department stores, and the town's economy was tied closely to the surrounding plantations. The town became known as Uniontown in 1861 at the suggestion of a local planter, Philip Weaver, whose hometown was Uniontown, Maryland. Uniontown sent a number of men to fight with the Canebrake Rifle Guards during the Civil War, a unit named after the geographical region in which Uniontown is located, as well as in another unit known as the Independent Troop of Uniontown. The area remained tied to the agricultural economy after the war.

In 1897, the Uniontown Cotton Oil Company was established in the town, one of the first facilities of its kind in the state and one of the first industrial businesses in Perry County; it manufactured cotton seed oil and cottonseed meal.

By 1900, the town had cotton gins, cotton warehouses, and a cotton mill. The city also had electricity and telephone services by this time. Less than two decades later, however, Uniontown began to lose population as more people abandoned plantations, largely because of the boll weevil's ruinous effect on the cotton crop. The town remains largely dependent on agricultural activities, including livestock farming, in the surrounding area.

After a 2008 spill of hazardous coal ash in Tennessee, four million cubic yards of the ash was moved to the Arrowhead Landfill in Uniontown. That facility is licensed to accept toxic waste from 33 state.

Geography
Uniontown is located at 32.44889°N, -87.51222°W (32.448984, -87.512287).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.19 sqmi, 15.18 sqmi land and 0.02 sqmi water.

2010 census
At the census of 2010, there were 2,684 people, 720 households, and 530 families living in the city. The population density was 1,365.4 PD/sqmi. There were 764 housing units at an average density of 587.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 90.6% Black or African American and 9.1% White. 0.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 720 households within the city, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.2% were married couples living together, 44.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 28.5% of households were one person and 9.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.27.

The age distribution was 35.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% 65 or older. The median age was 28.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.4 males.

The median household income was $15,054 and the median family income was $17,473. Males had a median income of $34,038 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,452. About 43.1% of families and 45.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 55.2% of those under age 18 and 51.5% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,107 people, 704 households, and 319 families residing in the town.

Local events
Uniontown is known for their eleven state high school basketball championships. The last championship team was led by former Auburn University guard Frankie Sullivan, who scored fifty-one points in the championship game.

Notable people

 * Juanita Abernathy, civil rights activist
 * Augusta Clark, Pennsylvania politician, was born in Uniontown
 * Tony Cox, actor, born in Uniontown in 1958
 * Erwin Dudley, professional basketball player
 * Morris Ernst, lawyer and co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
 * Eugene Lipscomb, football player, born in Uniontown in 1931
 * Zeke Smith, NFL player
 * Martha Goodwin Tunstall, suffragist, born in Uniontown in 1838
 * Holland Dai'mon Witherspoon, musician

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Uniontown has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

title: Uniontown, Alabama