NC 250
Cornelius Harnett: Patriot without a pardon
Did you know that Cornelius Harnett was one of two men that the English Crown refused to pardon in 1776 when it offered to pardon every other North Carolina militiaman…
Wilmington
county seat city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
NC 250
Stamp Act revisited
Before the Edenton Tea Party’s 1774 protest against the tax on tea, before the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775 (it’s on the North Carolina flag!), and before…
Liberty
Before the Kentucky Derby: North Carolina’s Colonial Horse Racing Roots
I can’t watch the Kentucky Derby without thinking of North Carolina’s heritage of horse racing, particularly in the region around the colonial town of Halifax. The staff at the Halifax…
NC 250
Reliving the Battle of Guilford Courthouse 245 years later
What a delight it was to venture out Saturday to the reenactment commemorating the 245th anniversary of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in north Greensboro. It was so encouraging to…
NC 250
This weekend, remember the Battle of Guilford Courthouse
The anniversary of the American Revolution’s Battle of Guilford Courthouse is being honored this weekend in Greensboro. The battle was fought on March 15, 1781. After skirmishes and chases through…
NC 250
All the voices
When you consider the coming of the American Revolution to the colony of North Carolina 250 years ago, you might be tempted to take for granted the remarkable circumstances that…
NC 250
Why the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge still matters
The bridge wasn’t the biggest one in the colony of North Carolina, nor was Moores Creek a large body of water. But for a moment in time on a cold…
NC 250
Washington’s tour of North Carolina’s Revolutionary history
As part of the John Locke Foundation’s NC250: Freedom’s Vanguard initiative, this essay contest invited students, scholars, historians, and writers to explore North Carolina’s pivotal role in the American Revolution…
NC 250
Guardians of their own liberty
As part of the John Locke Foundation’s NC250: Freedom’s Vanguard initiative, this essay contest invited students, scholars, historians, and writers to explore North Carolina’s pivotal role in the American Revolution…
Liberty
Why NC’s Third Provincial Congress matters to the Revolution
I went to Hillsborough on a recent Saturday for a day of Patriotic frivolity (including tricorn hats, tents, Revolutionary-era clothes, children’s activities, and a colonial market) and to view a…
Research Brief
Elections & Public Integrity
We can prevent noncitizen voting in North Carolina
A Canadian voted in several recent elections in North Carolina, demonstrating continued weakness in our state’s system of citizenship verification for voting. There are ways to strengthen citizenship verification. The…
Liberty
Neighbors battle neighbors at the House in the Horseshoe
Recently, on a particularly hot day that made me wonder how in the world Revolutionary War soldiers weathered the heat in their woolen garb, much less while evading whizzing musket…