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1776 - Common Sense

January, 1776 - Even among the delegates to the Continental Congress, there are disagreements. Some men, called Loyalists, still want to remain faithful to Britain. Others, including North Carolinians, demand complete independence. The turning point comes when Thomas Paine writes a pamphlet entitled Common Sense. His strong words convince the colonies to cut all ties with Britain. Finally, there is solid support for Independence.

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1819 - Economic Depression

North Carolina is in financial trouble. Many people do not like the paper money, called bank notes. Citizens demand that banks give them instead the gold or silver that the money represents. But there is not enough of the gold and silver to give everyone. Instead of spending their money, people hoard it. North Carolina slumps into an economic downturn, called a depression.

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1780 - Cornwallis Departs

October 12, 1780 - The people of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County continue to vex General Cornwallis. Skirmishes such as the Battle of the Bees just nine days earlier have shown the British commander that a military victory won't be easily won. Cornwallis calls this place a Hornet's Nest of rebellion, and leaves.

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1780-10-12

1792 - Cabarrus County

December 29, 1792 -  Cabarrus County is formed, created from the north-western section of Mecklenburg. No one yet suspects that in just a few years, the new county will draw everyone's attention when an important discovery is made there. The land in Cabarrus County contains gold.

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1800 - City of Churches

From now through the 1840s, Mecklenburg's churches will grow and become firmly established. Not only Presbyterians, but Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans and Catholics will form congregations.

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1803 - Gold Fever

French and Spanish explorers who find gold or other riches must give their bounty to the rulers of their home countries. But when Americans find valuables, what they find belongs to the property's owner, not the government. Not far from where Conrad Reed discovered a 17-pound gold nugget four years earlier, other large rocks containing gold are found. They weigh from eight pounds up to 16 -- but the biggest is 28 pounds. Other North Carolinians will become wealthy when they discover gold, and much of the precious metal will come from Mecklenburg County.

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1780 - Nathanael Greene

October 12, 1780 - The people of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County continue to vex General Cornwallis. Skirmishes such as the Battle of the Bees just nine days earlier have shown the British commander that a military victory won't be easily won. Cornwallis calls this place a Hornet's Nest of rebellion, and leaves.

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1814 - Mecklenburg County Soldiers

While none of the War of 1812's battles have been fought near their home, Mecklenburg County sends five companies of men to help Andrew Jackson fight the Creek Indians in Alabama. When the men, commanded by Col. Joseph Graham, arrive, they discovered Jackson has already defeated the Creeks.

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1819 - Life in the Backcountry

A new invention called an iron cook stove promises to modernize the American kitchen. But most Mecklenburgers will still use fireplaces to heat their homes and cook, since wood is cheap and plentiful. Kitchen chores are strenuous. There are heavy pots to lift and hang over the fire. Food for winter must be salted, pickled or dried to prevent spoilage. Visitors may bring delicacies such as oranges, chocolates, or spices from Charleston, South Carolina, where goods arrive by ships from foreign countries. But such expensive luxuries are uncommon in Charlotte.

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1780 - King's Mountain

October 7, 1780 - On a long, low ridge to the west of Charlotte, frontiersmen from Georgia, Virginia, and both Carolinas are fighting a band of British militiamen led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Although they are evenly matched with about 900 men each, the determined Americans surround the British and trap them at the top of Kings Mountain. Twenty-eight Americans lose their lives and 68 suffer injuries, but they kill, wound or capture nearly all of the British troops in a stunning victory that helps bring about the end of the Revolutionary War.

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