The Edmund Pettus Bridge is a historic bridge in Selma, Alabama, that played a significant role in the civil rights movement. The bridge gained notoriety on March 7, 1965, when peaceful civil rights marchers, led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams, were violently attacked by state troopers as they attempted to cross the bridge. The event, which became known as Bloody Sunday, galvanized public support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and helped to bring about significant changes in American civil rights legislation.

The Edmund Pettus Bridge was named after Edmund Winston Pettus, a Confederate general and U.S. Senator from Alabama. The bridge was completed in 1940 and spans the Alabama River. The bridge is a steel arch bridge and is approximately 1,248 feet long. It has two traffic lanes and a pedestrian walkway. The bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013.

Today, the Edmund Pettus Bridge remains an important symbol of the civil rights movement and a site of pilgrimage for those who seek to honor the legacy of the brave activists who marched across it. The bridge has been the site of many commemorations and events over the years, including the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee, which takes place each year in March and commemorates the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march of 1965. The bridge is also a popular destination for tourists and history enthusiasts who are interested in learning more about the civil rights movement.

In recent years, the Edmund Pettus Bridge has become the subject of renewed debate and controversy, as some have called for it to be renamed in light of Edmund Pettus’s controversial past as a Confederate general and segregationist politician. However, others argue that the bridge should be preserved as a historic landmark and a symbol of the progress that has been made in the struggle for civil rights in the United States.