In 1818, U.S. Congress authorized the newly created Alabama Territory to set aside a township for the establishment of a "seminary of learning". When Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, a second township was added to the land grant, bringing it to a total of 46,000 acres (186 km²). The General Assembly of Alabama established the seminary on December 18, 1820, named it The University of the State of Alabama, and created a Board of Trustees to manage the construction and operation of the university.[1] The board selected a construction site and an architect to design the campus.