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1865 - Slavery Ends in North Carolina

December 4, 1865 - North Carolina's legislature agrees to abolish slavery. The state approves, or ratifies, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is one requirement the state must meet if it wants to be re-admitted into the United States. North Carolina had left the U.S., or seceded, more than four years earlier.

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1862 - Charlotte's War Effort

Fifteen hundred Mecklenburg men and boys go to work at Charlotte's Confederate Navy Yard, where shells, gunpowder and ammunition, called ordnance, are made. The navy yard has been moved from Norfolk, Virginia to Mecklenburg County to be near the iron works, and farther from enemy troops. Women do their part, too. They spin, weave and sew to make uniforms. 

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1835 - States' Rights

North Carolina's legislature passes a law proclaiming that states have the right to regulate slavery, not the federal government. But this decision is just part of a growing conflict within and among the states. By 1848, this issue will dominate and determine the outcome of presidential elections.

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1864 - Place to Worship

Before the Civil War began, black slaves attended church with their white masters, but sat in the balconies. Now, as slaves win their freedom they want churches of their own. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Philadelphia helps start a congregation in Charlotte. By 1900 there will be seven churches in the city where African Americans can worship: AME, Baptist and Presbyterian. 

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1865 - Last Cabinet Meeting

April 20, 1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis meets with his complete Cabinet, or advisors, for the last time. Although their headquarters are on Tryon Street at the branch of the Bank of North Carolina, this final gathering is held at Williams Phifer's home on North Tryon Street. Historians will record that the meeting was moved to the Phifer House due to the illness of a Cabinet member.

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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.

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1838 - C is for Charlotte

March 27, 1838 - For the first time, coins are manufactured from Mecklenburg gold at the Charlotte Mint. A half-eagle is worth $5.00; a quarter-eagle is worth $2.50. Each gold piece is stamped with a C to show it was minted at Charlotte. In this one year, over $100,000 worth of gold blocks, called bullion, will be received at the Mint on West Trade Street.

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1832 - Defying the Courts

The United States Supreme Court is the country's highest legal authority. It rules that the U.S. Constitution was violated when Georgia took away the rights of the Cherokee Nation four years ago. In spite of the Supreme Court's ruling, President Andrew Jackson will continue to allow Indians to be pushed off their land.

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1827 - Cherokee Nation

As the American colonists had done in 1787, the Cherokee Indians draft a constitution, a document that describes the laws under which they will govern themselves. These Native Americans demand to be recognized as sovereign, or independent, and to be called the Cherokee Nation. But trouble lies ahead. The Cherokees will encounter opposition to their desire for self-rule from the U.S. Government.

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1830 - Freedom Train

People who speak out against slavery are called abolitionists. For 50 years, they have been working to eliminate slavery. They form a secret network of farms and families who hide and help runaways escape from the South to freedom. This is called the Underground Railroad, even though there are no actual trains or tracks. As hundreds of slaves vanish, their owners become outraged. The federal government enacts laws, called compromises that try to find solutions. But only after a bloody war is fought will the issue of slavery be resolved.

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