Abraham Alexander
Encyclopedia
Abraham Alexander was a public figure in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
, during the American Revolution
. He chaired the meetings that produced the radical Mecklenburg Resolves
and, allegedly, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
.
. He migrated to the frontier of the province of North Carolina
with many other Scots-Irish
colonists, and became a leader in the Scots-Irish community. He was one of the Presbyterian leaders who obtained a charter for Queen's College (subsequently known as Queen's Museum), which was a forerunner of Queens University of Charlotte
. The college was permanently closed in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War
, when British troops invaded the area.
When Mecklenburg County was created in 1762, Alexander was appointed as one of the county's first justices of the peace
. That same year he became an officer in the local militia
. In 1768 he was among the trustees who founded the town of Charlotte
, and the following year he was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly
.
Before the American Revolution, the Scots-Irish of North Carolina were generally supportive of the British royal governors of the province, which often put them at odds with other colonists. In 1765, Alexander was beaten by squatters while he was attempting to survey land for royal officials. In 1771, Alexander and his militiamen responded to Governor Tryon's
call for support in putting down the Regulators
, but the Mecklenburg men arrived too late to participate in the Battle of Alamance
.
dissolved the North Carolina Assembly in 1774, Alexander was elected to the first North Carolina Provincial Congress
.
In May 1775, Alexander was chosen by his militia company to be a delegate at a meeting held in Charlotte where measures were to be discussed regarding the ongoing dispute between the British Empire and the American colonies. Alexander, who was chairman of the Mecklenburg Committee of Safety
, was elected to serve as the meeting's chairman. According to testimony first published many years after the event, the delegates adopted and signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
on May 20. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence
by more than a year, but the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration is discounted by most modern historians. The meeting also produced (on May 31) the radical Mecklenburg Resolves
, the authenticity of which is not questioned, which effectively ended British authority in Mecklenburg County.
Whether Alexander helped draft either of these documents is not known. Based on the traditions surrounding the Mecklenburg Declaration, older histories of North Carolina in the American Revolution portrayed Alexander as a major figure in the local revolutionary movement. According to Converse Clowse, modern academic historians find little documentary evidence to support this traditional view. Alexander's public service clearly indicates that he was trusted by the community, but the degree to which he made major decisions and helped shape public opinion cannot be determined from the surviving contemporary evidence.
Alexander died in Mecklenburg County. He is buried with his wife Dorcas in the graveyard at the Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church.
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
, during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. He chaired the meetings that produced the radical Mecklenburg Resolves
Mecklenburg Resolves
The Mecklenburg Resolves, or Charlottetown Resolves, and sometimes referred to as the "Mecklenburg Declaration", was a list of statements reputed to have been introduced in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to the Mecklenburg Committee of Safety on or after March 20, 1775 and adopted by the...
and, allegedly, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, at Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared...
.
Early life
Alexander was probably born in Cecil County, MarylandCecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
. He migrated to the frontier of the province of North Carolina
Province of North Carolina
The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietor. The province later became the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee....
with many other Scots-Irish
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
colonists, and became a leader in the Scots-Irish community. He was one of the Presbyterian leaders who obtained a charter for Queen's College (subsequently known as Queen's Museum), which was a forerunner of Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte
Queens University of Charlotte is a private, co-educational, comprehensive university located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has approximately 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students through the College of Arts and Sciences, the McColl School of Business, the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. School...
. The college was permanently closed in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, when British troops invaded the area.
When Mecklenburg County was created in 1762, Alexander was appointed as one of the county's first justices of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. That same year he became an officer in the local militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
. In 1768 he was among the trustees who founded the town of Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, and the following year he was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
.
Before the American Revolution, the Scots-Irish of North Carolina were generally supportive of the British royal governors of the province, which often put them at odds with other colonists. In 1765, Alexander was beaten by squatters while he was attempting to survey land for royal officials. In 1771, Alexander and his militiamen responded to Governor Tryon's
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
call for support in putting down the Regulators
War of the Regulation
The War of the Regulation was a North Carolina uprising, lasting from approximately 1760 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against corrupt colonial officials...
, but the Mecklenburg men arrived too late to participate in the Battle of Alamance
Battle of Alamance
The Battle of Alamance was the final battle of the War of the Regulation, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control. In the past, historians considered the battle to be the opening salvo of the American Revolution and locals agreed with this assessment...
.
American Revolution and after
This support for the royal governors ended in the early stages of the American Revolution. After Governor Josiah MartinJosiah Martin
Lieutenant-Colonel Josiah Martin was the last colonial governor of the Province of North Carolina .-Family and connections:...
dissolved the North Carolina Assembly in 1774, Alexander was elected to the first North Carolina Provincial Congress
North Carolina Provincial Congress
The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government.-First Provincial Congress:...
.
In May 1775, Alexander was chosen by his militia company to be a delegate at a meeting held in Charlotte where measures were to be discussed regarding the ongoing dispute between the British Empire and the American colonies. Alexander, who was chairman of the Mecklenburg Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
, was elected to serve as the meeting's chairman. According to testimony first published many years after the event, the delegates adopted and signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, at Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared...
on May 20. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
by more than a year, but the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration is discounted by most modern historians. The meeting also produced (on May 31) the radical Mecklenburg Resolves
Mecklenburg Resolves
The Mecklenburg Resolves, or Charlottetown Resolves, and sometimes referred to as the "Mecklenburg Declaration", was a list of statements reputed to have been introduced in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to the Mecklenburg Committee of Safety on or after March 20, 1775 and adopted by the...
, the authenticity of which is not questioned, which effectively ended British authority in Mecklenburg County.
Whether Alexander helped draft either of these documents is not known. Based on the traditions surrounding the Mecklenburg Declaration, older histories of North Carolina in the American Revolution portrayed Alexander as a major figure in the local revolutionary movement. According to Converse Clowse, modern academic historians find little documentary evidence to support this traditional view. Alexander's public service clearly indicates that he was trusted by the community, but the degree to which he made major decisions and helped shape public opinion cannot be determined from the surviving contemporary evidence.
Alexander died in Mecklenburg County. He is buried with his wife Dorcas in the graveyard at the Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church.