North Carolina played a critical, often overlooked, role in our nation’s founding. We at the North Carolina History Project have put together this timeline of our state’s contributions to the American Revolution. The following timeline chronologically lays out some of the most important events in North Carolina’s revolutionary history and links out to our more...
To academic historians and amateur (or avocational) historians: We explored the North Carolina Historical Review to find articles about the American Revolution. I hope these summaries (written by a person, not AI) will whet your appetite for the longer versions. (A link to each article on JSTOR is provided for each.) Did North Carolina’s Revolution...
The North Carolina Historical Review includes a rich collection of articles about the American Revolution. This list was compiled by Kathryn McKee and Jane Shaw Stroup.
Pyle’s Defeat occurred in February 1781 near the end of the Revolution. It was a savage blow to British hopes, as Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis attempted to stop the Patriots’ momentum.
The subject of Scottish folklore and myth, Flora MacDonald assisted Prince Charles Stuart in his escape from King George II. In 1774, she moved to North Carolina, where her Loyalist husband and son fought in the Battle of Moores Creek.
The Edenton Tea Party was one of the earliest organized women’s political actions in United States history. On October 25, 1774, Mrs. Penelope Barker organized, at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth King, fifty-one women in Edenton, North Carolina. Together they formed an alliance wholeheartedly supporting the American cause against “taxation without representation.”
James G. Babb (1932- )
A native North Carolinian, James G. Babb was born January 1, 1932. He graduated from Belmont Abbey College in 1959 with a degree in business and later achieved success in the communications industry.
Braxton Bragg (Mexican War) (1817 – 1876)
Criticized for his inability to win battles during the Civil War (1861-1865), North Carolinian Braxton Bragg, writes historian William S. Hoffman, was the man of the hour during the Mexican War (1846-1848).
Barringer Gold Mine
Historians claim the opening of Barringer Gold Mine was a watershed event. Formerly one of the most important gold mines in 1800s North Carolina, the Barringer Gold Mine is remembered now mostly for being the first gold mine in the Southern Piedmont to use lode mining (pure mining from mineral deposits).
Cameron Village (Village District)
The Cameron Village Shopping Center, now known as the Village District, opened in 1949 with three stores and one restaurant.The open-air shopping mall was not only Raleigh's first shopping center away from downtown but also is considered the first shopping center constructed between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia.
Bessemer City
In the mid-1700s, Europeans looking for arable land started settling in modern-day Gaston County. Many arrived with land grants from King George II (1683-1760) or migrated from other colonies, such as Pennsylvania and Maryland. The area’s natural resources attracted skilled laborers, such as miners, lumberjacks, and farmers.
Progressive Farmer
Originally devoted to agricultural issues in the Tar Heel State, the Progressive Farmer started publication in Winston, North Carolina, on February 10, 1886. Farmer, Confederate veteran, newspaperman, and former North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, Leonidas L. Polk (1837-1892) founded the journal.
Tariffs
Commercial restrictions through tariffs have been an integral part of American history, and Tar Heels have voiced their opinion on tariff legislation since the founding of the United States. The federal government has used tariffs to raise revenue and protect American industry and labor. Before the Civil War, the federal government obtained close to ninety-percent of its revenue from tariffs and avoided insituting income taxation.
Whiteville
With a population of over 5,000, Whiteville is the largest town in Columbus County and serves as the county seat. Whiteville's beginnings date back to 1733, when it was originally part of a 640 acre tract inherited by attorney John Burgin and his wife, Margaret
Historic Murray’s Mill
In the rolling hills of eastern Catawba County, Murray’s Mill is located where it was built in 1913. Three generations of the Murray Family operated the mill before bureaucratic red tape and increasing taxes forced Lloyd Murray, John’s son, to close its doors in 1967.
Federalist Party
Originally, the term “Federalist” referred to supporters of the federal constitution of 1787. Though the Federalist Party existed for less than half of a century, it helped define the new nation. Though they may have lost many political battles, Federalists may have won the war, for their vision of a cosmopolitan and industrialized America eventually came to fruition.
Bunker Hill Covered Bridge
Designated as a National Civil Engineering Landmark in 2001, the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is the only remaining wooden example of the Improved Lattice Truss patented by Brigadier General Herman Haupt and one of only two original covered bridges remaining in North Carolina.
Harper House
Considered by the North Carolina Department of Archives and History to possess the “finest Queen Anne interior styling in the entire state,” the Harper House of Hickory also has a restored landscape, including period gardens. The Catawba County Historical Association (CCHA) raised $2,000,000 for restorations to start the house museum to interpret not only the histories of Hickory and the families who lived in the house but also the history of the Victorian South.