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1865 - End of the Confederacy

April 17, 1865 - The Confederate government collapses. President Jefferson Davis and other officials flee Richmond, Virginia. The fighting ends in North Carolina. At Bennett House near Durham, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Union General William T. Sherman. The two military leaders sit down and discuss how to heal the torn nation.

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1869 - Keep the Presses Rolling

At least four newspapers were circulated during the Civil War era. Some were used to promote a particular idea or point of view, a practice called propaganda. Charlotteans now get their news from the Daily Charlotte Observer. It will be followed in 1886 by a competitor, the Charlotte Chronicle, and the old Observer will cease to exist. Industrialist D.A. Tompkins and editor J.P. Caldwell will buy the Chronicle in 1892 and change its name to the Daily Observer. It will evolve into the modern-day Charlotte Observer.

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1834 - First Bank

The First Charlotte Bank opens. But not everyone in Mecklenburg needs a bank. During the first 50 years of U.S. history, settlers in the rough wilderness, or backcountry, have had little use for money. Many people trade for what their families need. A lucky few have discovered gold on their land.

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1865 - Mrs. Jackson in Charlotte

Now that the Civil War has ended, refugees find their way back home. Mary Anna Morrison Jackson takes up residence in a spacious house shaded by oak trees on Charlotte's West Trade Street. Mrs. Jackson is a war widow. Her husband, Confederate General Thomas A. Stonewall Jackson, died from wounds he suffered at the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia.Mrs. Stonewall Jackson's home

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1861 - North Carolina Joins the Confederacy

May 20, 1861 Six weeks ago, the battle of Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the Civil War. Today, North Carolina secedes from the U.S. and joins the Confederacy, becoming the 10th of 11 states to do so. This date is special for another reason. It marks the 76th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed Mecklenburg's independence at the time of the Revolutionary War.

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1841 - Public Education

<p>North Carolina received 1.5 million in surplus U.S. government funds. This money would be&nbsp;used to start the state&#39;s public school fund. On this date, the&nbsp;<em>Mecklenburg Jeffersonian</em>&nbsp;reported that the school board, formed that year, had divided Mecklenburg County into&nbsp;76&nbsp;school districts. Once school buildings were located in each, the county would be entitled to draw her quota of money.</p>

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1842 - Union County

Ever since Mecklenburg was created from Anson County in 1762, the two have shared a border. Now, that border changes. Union County is created by joining a southeastern section of Mecklenburg and a western section of neighboring Anson counties.

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1863 - Gettysburg

July 1, 1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania marks the turning point of the Civil War. The Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, try to invade the North. They are thwarted by the Union army in the three-day battle that will leave more than 40,000 men on both sides dead, wounded, captured or missing in action. Lee retreats into Virginia.

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1865 - Davis' Telegram

April 18, 1865 - In the closing days of the Civil War, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stops in Charlotte. He spends two weeks in the Queen City. Davis holds several meetings with his advisors, or cabinet. As Davis is giving a speech from the porch of businessman Lewis Bates' home, the Confederate president is interrupted by a messenger. The telegram says that Abraham Lincoln has been assassinated.Jefferson Davis in CharlottePlaque on S. Tryon St.

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1826 - The Southern Economy

Slave markets in Mecklenburg County are held twice each year. The highest price paid for a slave this year is $568. While many labor as farm-hands under back-breaking conditions on plantations throughout the South, some others are taught skills. Men who learn woodworking, black-smithing, and masonry -- and women who become seamstresses or cooks -- become indispensable to the plantation household and the South's economy.

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