Another Year for the History Books | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: The article below appeared in John Hood's daily column in his publication, the Carolina Journal, which, because of Author / Publisher Hood, is inextricably linked to the John Locke Foundation.

    RALEIGH     As should be obvious by now, North Carolina is undergoing dramatic change in 2013. A new Republican governor and legislature are pursuing new approaches to state issues such as taxation, regulation, transportation, and education. North Carolina Democrats -- locked out of executive, legislative, and judicial power for the first time since Reconstruction -- are seeking to reorganize themselves as an effective opposition party.

    In other words, both political coalitions are adapting to unfamiliar roles. So far, 2013 has already featured dramatic events and compelling controversies. More will follow. It seems likely that future scholars of North Carolina's political history will look back on the year as a momentous one.

John Hood
    For those who like to watch history's odometer turning over, the prospect is fascinating. You see, 2013 also happens to be an anniversary year for a number of events of historical significance. In the process of writing two recent books of family history, I came to understand these events in an entirely different context from my original exposure as a high school and college student.

    For example, as Marion Redd observed in a recent Raleigh News & Observer guest column, it was 150 years ago that Confederate forces under Gen. Robert E. Lee, including some Hoods in western North Carolina's 26th Regiment, invaded Pennsylvania and met with a bloody defeat at Gettysburg.

    It was 200 years ago that Creek Indians allied with Britain during the War of 1812 began attacking settlements in Alabama and Georgia. In response, native Carolinian Andrew Jackson led volunteers and militiamen south and west to confront the "Red Stick" Creeks. The initial battles in late 1813 featured the exploits of a Tennessee scout named Davy Crockett and a Cherokee from Western North Carolina named Chief Junaluska. Gen. Jackson's campaign also involved hundreds of North Carolinians with less-familiar names, including my ancestors William Lemmond and "Long Jimmie" Morrison.

    It was 250 years ago that the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War -- known in America as the French and Indian War. Also in 1763, a bill enacted the previous year went into effect to carve out a swath of Anson County to create the new Mecklenburg County. Another ancestor of mine, Adam Alexander, was involved in both events. As a captain during the French and Indian War, Adam served under his uncle Col. Nathaniel Alexander, who commanded the Anson County militia in the defense of western North Carolina (including Fort Dobbs, now a state historic site). And when North Carolina's colonial government drew up the proclamation creating Mecklenburg County, it actually cited Adam Alexander's farm as a landmark for defining the new county's eastern border. Adam later commanded the Mecklenburg militia during the Revolutionary War and was said to own the largest collection of books in the region. Adam's cousin, another fellow named Nathaniel Alexander, would be the first and only Mecklenburg native elected governor of North Carolina (Jim Martin and Pat McCrory may have begun their political careers in Mecklenburg, but they were born in Georgia and Ohio, respectively).

    Finally, it was 300 years ago that King Charles II granted the charter creating the colony of Carolina to a group of his supporters in Parliament. The leader of the colonial proprietors was Anthony Ashley Cooper, the first Earl of Shaftesbury, who then asked his personal physician and political aide to help draw up a governing document for the new Carolina colony. That man, John Locke, would later make his fame with a far more progressive and influential set of writings on constitutional government, epistemology, welfare reform, and religious toleration.

    Fortunately, there is a critical difference between the momentous changes of 2013 and most of the aforementioned historical events of 1863, 1813, 1763, and 1663. Although debates in the General Assembly this year may get heated, they'll be settled with words and ballots, not bullets and bayonets.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Teaching College Students to Write John Locke Foundation Guest Editorial, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics NC Budget Writers Should Beware of the Power of Compounding Expenditures


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

President Joe Biden took direct aim at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during a recent interview, referring to him simply as “the guy who likes to spend a lot of time on yachts.”
The best way the county and city can help hold down inflation is to resist all tax increases
Pope Francis lambasted leftist gender ideology during an address this week, warning that it presented an extreme danger to mankind.
amnesty would just encourage more illegal aliens to storm our borders
The Christmas candy was barely off the shelves when the Valentine’s candy appeared. Red and pink hearts with caramel and nut-filled chocolate goodness caught our eye. We are reminded of how we love love. Young love, especially.

HbAD1

far left sugar daddy has also funded anti-Israel groups and politicians in US
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
America needs to wake up and get its priorities right
Former President Donald Trump suggested this week that if he becomes president again, he might allow Prince Harry to be deported.
It's a New Year, which means it's time to make resolutions — even for prominent evangelical leaders. The Babylon Bee asked the following well-known figures in the faith what they hope to accomplish in 2024:
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic, reportedly the first time a president or vice president has visited an abortion facility.

HbAD2

An eight-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville has been temporarily closed due to a string of “human and bear interactions,” the National Parks Service announced.

HbAD3

 
Back to Top