History of Edmund Pettus in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 24, 2024

Edmund Winston Pettus was a prominent Confederate officer during the Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Following the war, he served as a U.S. Senator for Alabama from 1897 to 1907. Pettus was also known for his leadership role in the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization that employed violence and intimidation against African Americans during the Reconstruction era.

January 26, 1903: Re-election to the U.S. Senate

Edmund Pettus was re-elected to the U.S. Senate by the Alabama state legislature on January 26, 1903.

January 22, 1907: Final Re-election to the U.S. Senate

Edmund Pettus secured his final re-election to the U.S. Senate on January 22, 1907. This term was set to begin in 1909.

July 27, 1907: Death of Edmund Pettus

Edmund Pettus passed away on July 27, 1907, at the age of 86.

1907: Death of Edmund Pettus

Edmund Pettus died in the summer of 1907, during his time in office as a U.S. Senator.

1909: Posthumous Senate Term

Edmund Pettus was elected to the U.S. Senate for a term that would have begun in 1909, but he died before he could serve.

1940: Bridge Named After Edmund Pettus

A bridge spanning the Alabama River in Selma was named after Edmund Pettus in 1940.

1940: Edmund Pettus Bridge Construction

The Edmund Pettus Bridge across the Alabama River in Selma was built in 1940.

1965: Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Civil Rights Movement

In 1965, the Edmund Pettus Bridge became a landmark of the civil rights movement when a march for voting rights was met with violence from state troopers and the KKK.

1965: Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge

The Edmund Pettus Bridge became a focal point of the civil rights movement in 1965 when peaceful demonstrators marching for voting rights were attacked on the bridge.