Zebulon Baird Vance was paroled from Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. He had been one of three governors in Confederate North Carolina. Vance’s wife had been ill, so William H. Holden,…
Nathaniel Macon passed away on this day. His name was synonymous with North Carolina during the early 1800s. He served as U.S. Speaker of the House (1801-1807). In total, he…
Shortly after Lord Cornwallis captured Charles Towne, he focused on North Carolina. The first engagement in his North Carolina campaign occurred at Ramsour’s Mill in what is now Lincoln County. …
Caleb Bradham of New Bern received one of the earliest trademarks issued by the U.S. Patent Office. The soft drink was initially called “Brad’s Drink.” It later became known as…
Former UNC Trustee, militia colonel, and superior court judge, Samuel Spencer passed away. He was also a leading Anti-Federalist during the ratification debates at the Hillsborough Convention (1788). Willie Jones was the political faction’s mastermind, and Spencer, a…
The Lowrie Gang of Robeson County robbed for the last time. Many locals feared the violent gang. The poor, however, considered them to be local Robin Hoods because they shared their stolen…
February 1, 1960 | Four African-American students from NC A&T were refused service at the Woolworth’s in downtown Greensboro. They had ordered coffee. Their action inspired a wave of sit-ins across the…
January 27, 1778 | William Tryon died on this day. He had been a royal governor for North Carolina and New York. He is most known for ruling during the Regulator Rebellion that lasted…
December 12, 1957 | In Salisbury, the first Food Town opened. It was later renamed Food Lion in 1983. The chain cut prices dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s and became one of…
November 28, 1814 | Johnston Blakely was promoted to captain for his naval conquests during the War of 1812. According to the North Carolina History Project, “Blakely never enjoyed the fame that he for so…
In recent elections, North Carolina has often been referred to as a battleground state. In some ways, that was the case in the late 1780s. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina…
On this day, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution. North Carolina was the only state to have two ratification conventions. In 1788, the Hillsborough convention decided neither to reject nor approve the Constitution. Why?…