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1840 - Raw Deal

The Treaty of Nation's Ford devastates the Catawba Indians, many of whom live along the border between North and South Carolina. South Carolina agrees to give the tribe $5000 to buy 300 acres of mountain land in Haywood County, N.C., then $2000 per year for five years. North Carolina refuses to give the tribe any money until the Catawbas actually give up the disputed land and leave. Many of the tribe will be left poor and homeless.

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1847 - War with Mexico

<p>The U.S. is at war with Mexico, which&nbsp;refuses to give up possession of Texas. In 1836, Mexican soldiers stormed the Alamo, a Spanish fort near San Antonio. Everyone inside, including American soldiers, was killed, sparking the cry, Remember the Alamo! Now, Charlotte&#39;s Mint superintendent, Green Caldwell, leads a battalion of troops into Mexico. When the war is over, the U.S. will own most of the Southwest.</p>

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1810 - Iron Industry

Vesuvius Furnace, Tizrah Forge and Rehoboth Furnace are the iron works in Mecklenburg County that melt metal and form it into useful items. Not everyone uses money to pay for goods they buy. Some people bring wagons full of woven cloth and cured meat to trade for cook pots, rifles and cannonballs.Mecklenburg Iron Works

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1849 - California, Here I Come!

Gold, discovered one year ago in California, entices fortune seekers from all over the U.S. to flock to the western territory in a gold rush. These hopeful prospectors are called forty-niners. Even President James K. Polk, a Mecklenburg County native, tells Congress he believes the California gold rush will lead to great wealth. No longer is North Carolina the only place to look for gold.

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1820 - Cherokees and Catawbans

West and southwest of Mecklenburg County live the Cherokee Indians. During the Revolutionary War, many Cherokees helped fight for the British. Catawba Indians closer to Charlotte often fought for the Americans.Sequoyah (Cherokee)  

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1814 - Star-Spangled Banner

Poet Francis Scott Key watches as British bombs rain down on Baltimore's Fort McHenry. All night long the attack continues, but by dawn's early light, something incredible happens. As the smoke clears, Key can see that the American flag is still flying above the undefeated fort. He scribbles down a poem that will be set to music. The song will become The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem.

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1804 - Paper Money

The Revolutionary War has been over more than 20 years. But many Americans still buy and sell goods with the British money that was in use before the war. Now, coastal North Carolina banks in New Bern and Cape Fear issue American paper money, or notes, printed on silk paper. Many people don't trust the new money.

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1781 - Cowan's Ford

February 1, 1781 - British commander Cornwallis advances back into North Carolina as American General Nathanael Greene's army retreats. At a crossing place, or ford, on the Catawba River, the Battle of Cowan's Ford claims the life of beloved North Carolina militia commander General William Lee Davidson. In later years, a town, a county and a college will be named for Davidson.

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1786 - Charlotte

The population of Charlotte is 276. The city is home to a flour mill, saw mill, and rifle factory. Merchants, tailors, weavers and blacksmiths serve the growing community. About 9,000 people make their homes in Mecklenburg County. By the turn of the century, that number will more than double.

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1807 - Tensions with Great Britain

Great Britain and France are violating trade agreements with the U.S. Both countries seize American ships. Although some of the captured American crew members were born in Britain, they now declare themselves U. S. citizens. Britain ignores their claims, and impresses, or forces, them to serve the British Royal Navy.

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