North Carolina:Asleep and Awake

1820-1850

Antebellum

North Carolina:“The Rip Van Winkle State”

North Carolina Fell Behind the Rest of the Nation in:AgricultureTransportationManufacturingEducation

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

“Why depart from the good old ways which has kept us in quiet peace and harmony? Why leave the road of experience, which has satisfied all, and made all happy.”

NC Senator 1820Nathaniel Macon

Do you agree or disagree with a statement like this?

What Caused North Carolina to be Lagging Behind in the Early

1800’s? Rivers in most of the state were

not suitable for navigation. More than 1/3 of the state could

not read. UNC was graduating less than 100

per year Coastal geography was not

suitable for navigation. There was one cotton mill in the

state. Mountain region was almost

completely isolated. New Bern was the largest city

with only 3500 citizens, including slaves.

Eastern county slave owners controlled the General Assembly.

A Program for Reform!

Archibald Murphey, state senator from

Orange County, believed that state government

should take an active role to solve society’s problems and safeguard its citizens.

Rewrite the 1776 NC Constitution that gave each county the same number of senators and representatives. Base Representation on population

Make coastal inlets deeper Connect western rivers with canals to

the Cape Fear River New roads created in the Mountains

and Piedmont Free Public Schools Which of the above do you think is the

most important?

Murphey’s Plan for Change

David Swain Is Elected As Governor to Bring Reform!

Born in Beaverdam Valley north of Asheville

Pushed many of Murphey’s ideas

Believed taxes should be higher to make improvements

Elected from Whig Party that had been formed to oppose Andrew Jackson and the Democrats who were against additional taxes of any kind.

Are tax increases always a bad thing?

Governor David L. Swain

1832-1835

Buncombe County

Changes in NC Religion: “The Great Revival”

Baptists and Methodists begin to have outdoor evangelistic meetings called Camp Meetings. Based on the depiction below, what were these religious meetings like?

The Baptists and Methodists taught democratic ideas and the value of self-concept.

Methodism urged members to be anti-slavery. Presbyterians, though not as supportive of the Great Revival,

competed with the Methodists and Baptists. The Presbyterians emphasized education to improve the lives of North Carolinians.

Three Colleges Founded Wake Forest-1834, Baptist (Wake County near

Raleigh, moved to Winston-Salem in 1950’s) Davidson-1836, Presbyterian (Mecklenburg

County Trinity-1837, Methodist (Randolph County,

later moved to Durham and renamed Duke family,tobacco industrialist)

How Would the Great Revival Help Bring Change and Reform to NC?

Wake Forest University

Winston- Salem, North Carolina

DAVIDSON COLLEGE

Davidson, North Carolina

Early Photograph at Davidson College in Mecklenburg County

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Trinity College

Randolph County Before the Duke Gift to the College and Its

Move to Durham

1891

A New Road for the Mountains:The Buncombe Turnpike

The Road followed the French Broad River.

Livestock was driven along the road eventually reaching Charleston, SC.

The road passed through present downtown Asheville.

French Broad River that the

Buncombe Turnpike Followed Through WNC

Gold Brings Change to North Carolina

1799- Teenager Conrad Reed finds a 17 pound gold nugget in Cabarrus County near Charlotte.

North Carolina will lead the nation in gold production until the California Gold Rush in 1849.

The Betchtler Mint in Rutherfordton produced gold jewelry and coins worth $3.6 million between 1831-1857.

Little Meadow Creek Where Reed Found

Gold

More Reform for North Carolina

Free Public Schools are Opened in 1839.

The Dorthea Dix Hospital for the mentally ill is opened in Raleigh.

Another state hospital for the mentally ill is opened at Morganton ( Now Broughton Hospital).

North Carolina School for the Blind is opened in Raleigh.

North Carolina School for the Deaf is opened at Morganton in Burke County.

Dorthea Dix

Typical Early School Building

James Monroe(1817-1825, Democratic-

Republican)The Era of Good Feelings

Born 1758, Charlottesville, Virginia

Wounded at the Battle of Trenton,1776

Proclaimed “Monroe Doctrine”-Foreign nations should stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

Missouri Compromise: Missouri Slave/Maine/Free

States Admitted: Mississippi 1817, Illinois 1818,Alabama 1819, Maine 1820, Missouri 1821

President James Monroe

Monroe Doctrine“Stay Out of Our Neighborhood”

Missouri Compromise of 1820

John Quincy Adams(1825-1829)Democrat-

Republican Born at Braintree,

Mass. July 11, 1767 Ancestry: English Married Louisa

Johnson Children:2 sons, 1

daughter Religion: Unitarian No States Admitted John Quincy Adams Photograph

Taken After Presidency-1st Photo of Any President

John Quincy AdamsMassachusetts

Andrew Jackson-Democrat(1829-1837) “Old Hickory” Born in Waxhaws, SC? NC? Married: Rachel Donelson Robards Ancestry: Scots Irish Children: 1 adopted son Religion: Presbyterian Home: Hermitage Plantation, Nashville,

Tenn. Indian Removal Act “Trail of Tears’ Texas declares Independence from Mexico Siege of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas Whig Party formed to oppose Jackson Samuel Morse invented the telegraph States Admitted: Arkansas 1836, Michigan 1837

Andrew Jackson“Old Hickory”

1830 Indian Removal Act

Andrew Jackson Images

South Carolina Threatens to Leave the Union

Texans Fight for Independence at the Alamo

Martin Van Buren 1837-1841

Born in Kinderhook, New York

Weak President

William Henry Harrison-Whig(1841-1841)

Born Charles County, Va. Feb. 9, 1773

Ancestry: English Wife:Anna Suymmes Religion: Episcopalian Harrison dies after

serving one month.

John Tyler-Whig(1841-1845)

Born in Charles County, Va. 3/29 1790

Wives: 1st-Letitia Christian, 2nd-Julia Gardiner

Children:1st wife-3 sons, 4 daughters,2nd-wife-5 sons, 2 daughters=14 children

Religion: Episcopalian States Admitted: Florida

James Knox Polk- Democrat(1845-1849)

Born: Mecklenburg County, NC 11/2 1795

Ancestry: Scots Irish Wife: Sarah Childress Graduate: UNC-Chapel Hill Children: None Religion: Presbyterian Home: Nashville, Tennessee Gold discovered in California Mexican War ( Gain California

and Southwest) Gain Oregon Country from

British Brigham Young Moves Mormons

to Utah States Admitted: Texas, Iowa,

Wisconsin Polk Birthplace

1 mile from Carowinds

James Knox PolkDemocrat-Tennessee

War With Mexico1846-1848

Local History Notes (1820-1850)

Dr. Elisha Mitchell, UNC professor, begins to explore the Black Mountains in Yancey County. By 1857, he determines that the Black Dome( now Mount Mitchell) is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.

Early Picture of Eagle HotelBiltmore Avenue, Asheville

Located Across from Present Double-Decker Bus Coffee Shop

Stagecoach In Front of Eagle HotelAsheville,1850

Mountain Slavery 1850’s

Born near Jonesboro, Tennessee (still a part of NC then in 1786) Married Elizabeth Patton, a native of

Buncombe County (Swannanoa Valley) in 1815

Lived near the present site of Buncombe Community School in Swannanoa

Celebrated Indian Fighter, guide, trailblazer, and US Congressman

Killed defending the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas against Mexican troops in 1836

Special Local History Note from Early 1800’s

Davey Crockett