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Building The County

“In 1788, North Carolina chose delegates to a convention to consider the Constitution of the United States and to ratify or reject it.  It met at Hillsboro on July 21, and Warren’s delegation included John Macon, Wyatt Hawkins, James Payne, Thomas Christmas, and Henry Montfort. The Constitution was rejected amid unrestrained anti-Federalist cries that Federalism was tyranny.  Even the name of George Washington was attacked – Thomas Person, of a family long influential in Warren County, called Washington ‘a damned rascal and traitor to his country for putting his name to such and infamous paper as the new Constitution.’  The final vote was 184 to 84 for rejection.  Between sessions to Warren County delegates made a acquaintance of an Irish scholar and former actor by the name of Marcus George, recently come to America to seek his fortune.  John Macon, Wyatt Hawkins, Henry Montfort, and James Payne were all trustees of the newly chartered Warrenton Academy, and among trustee's from other counties present at Hillsboro for William R. Davie, Willie Jones, and others.  These were impressed enough with George to bring him home with them as principal.  He proved an excellent instructor, especially in great, Latin, and elocution, and staged occasional place in the modest Academy to Little Auditorium.  The following year saw another constitutional convention at Fayetteville.  It met on November 16.  The Warren delegates were Benjamin Hawkins, just elected United States senator by the assembly, his father, his brother Wyatt, Solomon Green, and Thomas Christmas.  Hawkins, who had become a Federalist, probably was influential in the reversal of attitude.  The vote favorite adoption of the Constitution, 195 to 77.  Benjamin and Philemon Hawkins, Sr., and Solomon Green voted a Wyatt Hawkins and Thomas Christmas were with the minority that voted against adoption.  North Carolina was an idiot, too late the vote for Washington but in time for the first United States census, conducted in 1790.  The County had Rowland in the past decade, but familiar and beloved faces were missing.  " Contributed by Ginger Christmas-Beattie [Out of respect of the Ethnic heritage of the Slaves I have listed them as Negro or Slave where the records do not capitalize the words.]

©2002 by Ginger L. Christmas-Beattie.  No portion of this any document appearing on this site is to be used for other than personal research.  Any republication or reposting is expressly forbidden without the written consent of the owner.

02/04/2021

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