You are here

Nation: America 1782-1819

1780 - Mecklenburg Communities

With the Revolutionary War now over, citizens work hard for a better life in the growing Charlotte- Mecklenburg communities. Schools are established in Sugaw Creek, Rocky River, Poplar Tent, Steele Creek, Hopewell, Beatties Ford, Providence, Clear Creek and Charlottetown communities.Old-Field Schools

Date of Event:

1812 - WAR!

June 18, 1812 - The United States of America declares war on Great Britain, its former ruler!

Date of Event:

1800 - Latta Plantation

Eight years ago, James Latta's wife died, leaving two sons for her husband to raise. Now remarried, Latta builds a beautiful plantation home on the banks of the Catawba River near Hopewell Church. Since there are no schools for proper young ladies in North Mecklenburg, Latta's three daughters will attend Salem Academy, nearly 100 miles away.

Date of Event:

1814 - Poll Tax

How many people now live in Mecklenburg County and what is the value of their property? The system of assessing and collecting taxes is complicated. There are taxes on land and slaves, plus a tax for each man who votes, called a poll tax. Many people still prefer British money over American currency. Four British pence must be paid for every 100 acres. The poll tax per man is one shilling.

Date of Event:

1782 - Questions Arise

Now that the British have surrendered to the Americans, what will happen to the black men who fought in the Revolutionary War? Most slaves who were captured are returned to their masters. But the British agree to hear arguments, called appeals, from the black men. The British give money to the slave masters and grant freedom to those blacks who helped them. 'Liberty to slaves:' The black response By Jeffrey J. Crow

Date of Event:

1783 - Peace

September 3, 1783 - Great Britain has no choice. By signing the Treaty of Paris today, it must finally recognize the United States as a free and sovereign nation, as proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The U.S. borders now reach west to the Mississippi River, north to Canada, and south to Florida.

Date of Event:

1795 - Birth of a President

November 2, 1795 - James Knox Polk is born in Mecklenburg County. He is a descendant of Scottish religious reformer John Knox . As the 11th President of the United States, the country grows in size by half a million square miles with the inclusion of Texas, New Mexico and California.

Date of Event:

1799 - Discovery of Gold

Twelve-year-old Conrad Reed finds a large, glittery rock in a stream 25 miles northeast of Charlotte. His father, John, asks a silversmith to identify the 17-pound stone, but no one knows what it is. The Reed family uses the pretty rock for a doorstop. It will be more than two years before anyone realizes what it contains: gold!

Date of Event:

1810 - Second Mecklenburg County Courthouse

The Second Courthouse was built by John Dow in 1810 in the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets. . . . The Second Courthouse was the place of enforcement of judgments. The whipping post, pillory, and stocks stoood on the street outside the courthouse, in full view of the judge from his bench inside the Courthouse.

Date of Event:

1792 - First Charlotte Post Office

A branch of the U.S. Postal Service is established in Charlotte. It is the first year that local officials take an oath to the U.S. government.

Date of Event: