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North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835

Summary

The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 was a meeting of delegates elected by eligible voters in counties in the United States state of North Carolina to amend the Constitution of North Carolina written in 1776 by the Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress. They met in Raleigh, North Carolina from June 4, 1835, to July 11, 1835, and approved several amendments to the constitution that were voted on and approved by the voters of North Carolina on November 9, 1835. These amendments improved the representation of the more populous counties in the Piedmont and western regions of the state and, for the first time, provided for the election of the governor by popular vote rather than election by the members of the General Assembly.

Constitution of North Carolina Convention of 1835
←Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress Convention of 1861–1862→
Journal of the Convention
Overview
Legislative bodyState Convention
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeRaleigh, North Carolina
Term1835
Members130 Delegates (65 counties)
PresidentNathaniel Macon
Chairman pro temporeDavid Lowry Swain
SecretaryEdmund B. Freeman
Assistant SecretaryJoseph D. Ward
Sessions
1stJune 4, 1835 – July 11, 1835

Demand for a new constitution edit

 
Map of North Carolina published in 1833

The population distribution had changed since the time of the original constitution was written in 1776. The number of counties had increased from 38 at the time of the first general assembly in 1777 to 68 in 1835. Many new counties had been created in the central Piedmont[note 1] and Western regions of the state. The population of the 23 counties in the Piedmont region (344,184) and eight counties in the Western region (80,592) combined exceeded that of the 34 counties in the Eastern region (313,211) in 1830. This created a greater demand for roads, schools, and infrastructure in the faster growing counties, especially the Piedmont region. The 1776 constitution had spelled out one senator for each county, at least two delegates to the house of commons for each county, and one senator from each of eight large towns, also called districts or boroughs. The governor was also chosen by the general assembly vice the voters in each county.[1][2][3]

The 1776 Constitution was worded with restrictions on who could and who could not vote, as follows:[3]

  • "That all freemen of the age of twenty-one Years, who have been inhabitants of any one county within this State twelve months immediately preceding the day of any election, and shall have paid public taxes shall be entitled to vote for members of the House of Commons for the county in which he resides."
  • "That no clergyman, or preacher of the gospels of any denomination shall be capable of being a member of either the Senate, House of Commons, or Council of State, while he continues in the exercise of the pastoral function."
  • "That no person, who shall deny the being of God or the truth of the Protestant religion, or the divine authority either of the Old or New Testaments, or who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of the State, shall be capable of holding any office or place of trust or profit in the civil department within this State."

Freemen included former slaves, so they were allowed to vote in North Carolina from 1777 to 1835.

Amendments to the constitution edit

Out of the convention came many amendments. Among those changes was fixing the membership of the Senate and House at their present levels, 50 senators and 120 representatives. Each county received at least one representative in the House and the remainder of the 120 representatives were assigned based on population of the counties. Senators were elected from districts that were laid out based on the amount of taxes paid to the state for each county. Also, the office of Governor became popularly elected. These changes gave the more populous western counties more of a say in government but still favored those who owned property, since this was required to vote and hold office. The vote was taken away from freed slaves in this convention, which followed a national trend. The most ardent supporters of disenfranchisement were located in the Eastern regions, where the black population was higher and slavery had been more established. The convention approved the changes on July 11, 1835. The convention's proposed changes were adopted by vote of the people on November 9, 1835 with 26,771 in favor and 21,606 against. These changes remained in effect until 1868 when the Constitution was next changed.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

The convention also provided amendments that eliminated private acts that granted divorces, changed names, and legitimizing persons; provided procedures to impeach of state officers; procedures to remove judges for disability; established biannual legislative sessions; and provides provisions for amending the constitution.[5]

Officers edit

 
President Nathaniel Macon
 
Chairman pro tempore David Lowry Swain

The following officers were chosen by the delegates to the convention:[10]

  • President Nathaniel Macon
  • Chairman pro tempore: David Lowry Swain
  • Secretary: Edmund B. Freeman
  • Assistant Secretary: Joseph D. Ward
  • Doorkeepers: Green Hill and John Cooper
  • Printers: Gales & Son

Delegates edit

 
Kenneth Rayner
 
Samuel Price Carson
 
Asa Biggs
 
John Motley Morehead
 
Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr.
 
John Owen
 
William Gaston
 
Charles Fisher, Rowan County
 
Jesse Speight
 
John Branch

In 1835, the counties of North Carolina were characterized as either eastern or western counties. The more sparsely populated counties were in the west. The voters from the counties elected two delegates for each county in elections held in April 1835. In 1835, there were 38 Eastern counties and 27 Western counties (Western and Piedmont Regions, see table). The following delegates were elected by the eligible voters of North Carolina:[5][11]

County Member 1 Member 2 Region 1830 County Population
Anson William A. Morris Joseph White Piedmont 14,095
Ashe Alexander B. McMillan George Bower Western 6,987
Beaufort Joshua Tayloe Richard H. Bonner Eastern 10,969
Bertie David Outlaw[note 2] Joseph B. G. Roulhac Eastern 12,262
Bladen John Owen[note 3] Samuel B. Andres Eastern 7,811
Brunswick Frederick J. Hill William R. Hall Eastern 6,516
Buncombe David Lowry Swain[note 4] James Gudger, Sr. Western 16,281
Burke Burges S. Gaither Samuel Price Carson[note 5] Western 17,888
Cabarrus Daniel Moreau Barringer[note 6] Christopher Melchor Piedmont 8,810
Camden Willie McPherson George Ferebee Eastern 6,733
Carteret Wallace H. Styron James W. Bryan Eastern 6,597
Caswell William A. Lea Calvin Graves Piedmont 15,185
Chatham Joseph Ramsay Hugh McQueen Piedmont 15,405
Chowan Joseph B. Skinner Samuel Tredwell Sawyer[note 7] Eastern 6,697
Columbus Alexander Troy Absalom Powell Eastern 4,141
Craven William J. Gaston[note 8] Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr.[note 9] Eastern 13,734
Cumberland John D. Toomer Archibald McDiarmid Eastern 14,834
Currituck Gideon C. Marchant Isaac Baxter Eastern 7,655
Davidson John A. Hogan John L. Hargrave Piedmont 13,389
Duplin Jeremiah Pearsall John E. Hussey Eastern 11,291
Edgecombe Louis Dicken Wilson[note 10] Phesanton S. Sugg Eastern 14,935
Franklin Henry J. G. Ruffin William P. Williams Piedmont 10,665
Gates Riddick Gatling Whitmel Stallings Eastern 7,866
Granville Robert B. Gilliam[note 11] Josiah Crudup[note 12] Piedmont 19,355
Greene Jesse Speight Thomas Hooker Eastern 6,413
Guilford John Motley Morehead[note 13] Jonathan Parker Piedmont 18,737
Halifax John Branch[note 14] Joseph J. Daniel Eastern 17,739
Haywood William Welch Joseph Cathey Western 4,578
Hertford Isaac Pipkin Kenneth Rayner[note 15] Eastern 8,537
Hyde Wilson B. Hodges Alexander F. Gaston Eastern 6,184
Iredell Samuel King John M. Young Piedmont 14,918
Johnston Jesse Adams Hillory Wilder Eastern 10,938
Jones William Huggins James W. Howard Eastern 5,608
Lenoir James Cox Council Wooten Eastern 7,723
Lincoln Bartlett Shipp Henry Cansler Piedmont 22,455
Macon Benjamin S. Brittain James W. Guinn Western 5,333
Martin Jesse Cooper Asa Biggs[note 16] Eastern 8,539
Mecklenburg James M. Hutcheson Isaac Grier Piedmont 20,073
Montgomery John B. Martin James L. Gaines Piedmont 10,919
Moore John B. Kelly Charles Chalmers Piedmont 7,745
Nash John Arrington William W. Boddie Eastern 8,490
New-Hanover Lewis H. Marsteller Owen Holmes Eastern 10,959
Northampton Roderick B. Gary Samuel Calvert Eastern 13,391
Onslow David W. Saunders John A. Averitt Eastern 7,814
Orange James Strudwick Smith[note 17] William Montgomery[note 18] Piedmont 23,908
Pasquotank Richard H. Ramsay John L. Bailey Eastern 8,641
Perquimans Jonathan H. Jacocks Jesse Wilson Eastern 7,419
Person Moses Chambers John W. Williams Piedmont 10,027
Pitt Robert Williams, Sr. John Joiner Eastern 12,093
Randolph Alexander Gray Benjamin Elliott Piedmont 12,406
Richmond Alfred Dockery[note 19] Henry W. Harrington Piedmont 9,396
Robeson John W. Powell Richard C. Bunting Eastern 9,433
Rockingham Edward T. Brodnax John L. Lesueur Piedmont 12,935
Rowan Charles Fisher[note 20] John Giles Piedmont 20,786
Rutherford Joseph Carson, MD Theodorick F. Birchett Western 17,557
Sampson William B. Meares Thomas I. Faison Eastern 11,634
Stokes Matthew R. Moore Emanuel Shober Piedmont 16,196
Surry Meshack Franklin[note 21] William P. Dobson Piedmont 14,504
Tyrrell Hezekiah G. Spruill Joseph Halsey Eastern 4,732
Wake Henry Seawell Kimbrough Jones Piedmont 20,398
Warren Nathaniel Macon[note 22] Weldon Nathaniel Edwards[note 23] Piedmont 11,877
Washington Joseph C. Norcom Josiah Collins, Jr. Eastern 4,552
Wayne Gabriel Sherard Lemuel H. Whitfield Eastern 10,331
Wilkes Edmund Jones James Wellborn Western 11,968
Yancey Abner Jervis Bacchus J. Smith Western 5,962 (1840)[note 24]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The Piedmont region as is commonly referred today was probably included in what is now called the Western region and just referred to as the Western region.
  2. ^ David Outlaw was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1847–1853).
  3. ^ John Owen, Democratic party, was the Governor on North Carolina (1828–1830)
  4. ^ David Lowry Swain, National Republican party, was the Governor of North Carolina (1832–1835).
  5. ^ Samuel Price Carson was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1825–1833).
  6. ^ Daniel Moreau Barringer was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1843–1849).
  7. ^ Samuel Tredwell Sawyer was U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1837–1839).
  8. ^ William J. Gaston was U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1813–1817).
  9. ^ Richard Dobbs Spaight, Democratic party, was the Governor of North Carolina (1835–1836)
  10. ^ Louis Dicken Wilson was a Brigadier-General of the 5th North Carolina Brigade and participated in the Mexican-American war.
  11. ^ Robert B. Gilliam was elected to be a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina in 1870 but died before he could take his office.
  12. ^ Josiah Crudup was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1821–1823).
  13. ^ John Motley Morehead was the Governor of North Carolina (1841–1845).
  14. ^ John Branch, Democratic party, was the Governor of North Carolina (1817–1820).
  15. ^ Kenneth Rayner was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1839–1845).
  16. ^ Asa Biggs was a U.S. Congressman (1845–1847) and a U.S. Senator (1855–1858) from North Carolina.
  17. ^ James Strudwick Smith was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1817–1821).
  18. ^ William Montgomery was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1835–1841).
  19. ^ Alfred Dockery was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1845–1847, 1851–1853).
  20. ^ Charles Fisher was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1819–1821, 1839–1841).
  21. ^ Franklin Meshack was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1807–1815).
  22. ^ Nathaniel Macon was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1815 and a member of the United States Senate from 1815 to 1828.
  23. ^ Weldon Nathaniel Edwards was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (1813–1827).
  24. ^ Yancey County was created in 1833 from sections of Burke and Buncombe Counties, so it was not included in the 1830 Census. Census figures for the 1840 Census are shown instead, even though the population in 1830 was part of these other two counties.

References edit

  1. ^ 1830 U.S. Federal Census as listed in articles on each county.
  2. ^ Humber, John L. (2006). "Convention of 1835". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "North Carolina Constitution of 1776". Yale Law School. 1776. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  4. ^ Jeffrey, Thomas E. (1996). "1835 Constitutional Convention". NCPedia. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Cheney, John L. Jr. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State.
  6. ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  7. ^ Counihan, Harold J. (October 1969). The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835: A Study in Jacksonian Democracy, NCHR 46.
  8. ^ Green, Fletcher M. (1930). Constitutional Development in the South Atlantic States, 1776-1860.
  9. ^ Orth, John V. (1993). The North Carolina State Constitution with History and Commentary. The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0807845516.
  10. ^ Connor, Henry Groves (October 1908). The Convention of 1835, North Carolina Booklet 8.
  11. ^ "Journal of the Convention, Called by the Freemen of North-Carolina, to Amend the Constitution of the State, Which Assembled in the City of Raleigh, on the 4th of June, 1835, and Continued in Session Until the 11th Day of July Thereafter: Electronic Edition. North Carolina. Constitutional Convention (1835)". 1835. Retrieved November 4, 2019.

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