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History of Charlotte, North Carolina:
Charlotte Was Founded In The 1750s At The Intersection Of Two Indian Trading Paths, Including A North-south Route Termed The Great Wagon Road And Followed Closely Today By U.S. Route 21. In The 18th Century, The Great Wagon Road Led Settlers Of Scotch-Irish And German Descent From Pennsylvania Into The Carolina Foothills. These Settlers Brought With Them The Rugged Industriousness And Individualism That Were Part Of Their Presbyterian Conviction. The Crossroads, Which Sat Atop A Long Rise In The Piedmont Landscape, Would Become The Heart Of Modern Downtown Charlotte. The Streets Are Trade And Tryon, The Latter Named For William Tryon, A Royal Governor Of Colonial North Carolina. Other Streets Are Based On Old Routes As Well.
The Village, Established By Thomas Polk, Uncle Of United States President James K. Polk, Was Named For Charlotte Of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, The German Wife Of British King George III.
The Nod To Royalty Was Short-lived, However. On May 20, 1775, Townsmen Signed A Set Of Resolves That Would Become Known As The Mecklenburg Declaration Of Independence. A Copy Was Sent To The Continental Congress A Year Later. Though Thomas Jefferson Would Deny Having Borrowed Content From The Mecklenburg Declaration, His 1776 Declaration Of Independence Featured Language Similar To The Charlotte Document.
Charlotte Played A Critical Role During The Revolutionary War, Site Of Encampment For Both The American And British Main Armies. It Was During A Series Of Skirmishes Between British Troops And Fiesty Charlotteans That The Village Earned A Lasting Nickname, "Hornets Nest," So Dubbed By A Frustrated Lord General Cornwallis. Charlotte Was An Ideological Hotbed Of Revolutionary Sentiment, An Enduring Legacy Proclaimed Across The Cityscape Through Such Landmarks As Independence Boulevard, Independence High School, Freedom Park, Freedom Drive, Et Al.
The Civil War Largely Bypassed Charlotte, Though The City Was The Site Of The Confederate Cabinet's Final Meeting. Confederate President Jefferson Davis Was In Charlotte When He Received News Of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination.
Charlotte's History As A Financial Center Is Extensive. In 1838 The U.S. Congress Established A Branch U.S. Mint There, Because Of The Gold Deposits Found In The Area. Additionally, An 1836 Executive Order Issued By President Andrew Jackson Called A Specie Circular Had Mandated That All Land Transactions Be Conducted In Cash, Thus Incresing The Need For Minted Money. The Charlotte Mint, Which Produced Coins In Denominations Of $2.50, $5, $10, And After 1849, $1, Was Active Until 1861, When Confederate Forces Seized The Mint Facility At The Outbreak Of The Civil War. The Mint Was Not Reopened At The End Of The War, But The Building Survives And Now Houses An Art Museum. Because Of The Relatively Small Mintage That The Charlotte Mint Produced Annually, Surviving Pieces Are Prized In The Field Of American Numismatics.
The City's Banking Industry Picked Up Steam In The 1970s, Largely Under The Leadership Of Financier Hugh McColl Jr. McColl Transformed North Carolina National Bank Into A Formidable National Player That Through A Series Of Aggressive Acquisitions Would Eventually Become Bank Of America. Today, Charlotte Is The Second Biggest Banking Center In The Country, After New York City.
Charlotte's Penchant For Looking Ahead -- A Drive For Economic Development That Kicked Into Particularly High Gear During The Mid-20th Century -- Has Created Something Of A Historical Apathy In The City. Most Traces Of Antebellum Charlotte Are Long Gone And Preservationists Have Often Struggled In Their Quest To Maintain Landmarks In The Face Of Modern-minded Boosters, A Key Reason Charlotte Is Often Regarded As A "new" American City Despite The Fact That Among Major U.S. Metropolises, It Is Actually One Of The Oldest.
Richard Vinroot Was Mayor Of Charlotte From 1991 To 1995. Patrick McCrory Succeeded Him In Office And, In 2003, Won Re-election To A Fifth Term.
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