Early America
William Henry Hill (1767-1808)
1776-1835
A Brunswick County native, William Henry Hill was the state’s district attorney, a state senator, a University of North Carolina Trustee, and a U.S. Congressman. Unlike many of his North Carolina contemporaries in Congress, Hill was a staunch Federalist who, according to Lawrence F. London, “believed in a strong central government.”
When Politics Turned Physical
An influential early 19th-century N.C. congressman was bloodied during a “fracas” following a heated debate with a colleague.
N.C.’s Samuel Johnston Played Important Role in Founding
His work influenced politics and law in the years leading up to and following the Revolutionary War.
North Carolina’s Long History as a Battleground State
Once again, the 2024 electoral cycle showed that North Carolina is a battleground state. What few know is that it has often been a battleground state! This article starts with the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
N.C. Has a Long History as Battleground State
The 2024 electoral cycle once again showed that North Carolina is a battleground state. But this should not be surprising—it has often been divided over important issues. This article begins with the Constitutional Convention in1787.
North Carolina’s Ratification Debates Guaranteed Bill of Rights
The 1787-89 debates over ratifying the Constitution offer another example of North Carolina's longstanding role as a battleground state in U.S. political history.
North Carolina’s Ratification Debates Guaranteed Bill of Rights
The 1787-89 debates over ratifying the Constitution offer another example of North Carolina's longstanding role as a battleground state in U.S. political history.
Constitution Day: Tar Heels Take Center Stage in Famous Painting
On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates signed the U.S. Constitution and then submitted it to the various state ratification conventions to approve. What was accomplished on that day was nothing less than remarkable: delegates had agreed on the final draft of the first written national constitution that still remains in effect. Today is Constitution Day, and we as Americans remember the signers’ actions and the document’s importance to ensuring the rule of law, even in our modern world.
North Carolina Ratification Conventions: Five Quotes You Need To Know
Many North Carolinians expressed Antifederalist sympathies and were skeptical of giving the national government more authority, especially without a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution. There might be problems with the Articles of Confederation, sure, but did Americans, many Tar Heels questioned, need to hurriedly give the national government more power?
William Henry Hill (1767-1808)
A Brunswick County native, William Henry Hill was the state’s district attorney, a state senator, a University of North Carolina Trustee, and a U.S. Congressman. Unlike many of his North Carolina contemporaries in Congress, Hill was a staunch Federalist who, according to Lawrence F. London, “believed in a strong central government.”
Five Things You Need To Know About James Madison (Kevin R. C. Gutzman)
Even if you are an expert, chances are that your idea of James Madison is highly skewed. He gets almost no credit for his most important accomplishment; two of his supposed chief achievements were less important than many think; he opposed another before he was for it; and he tried to reel one in after he cast it out.
Five Things You Need To Know About James Madison (Jeff Broadwater)
The historian Irving Brant, who wrote a six-volume biography of James Madison, once complained about his subject’s modest place in America’s historical memory. “Among all the men who shaped the present government of the United States of America, the one who did the most is known the least.” In a modest effort to redress this Madisonian neglect, here are five things we should all know about America’s fourth president.
Overlooked Founders and the Key to The Constitution
Americans more often than not discuss the meaning of the Constitution through the lens of Supreme Court decisions and the famous Federalist essays of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. That is only part of the story, and in the case of the Supreme Court, a subjective and politically tainted chapter.