Happy Election Day

Every 4 years November 6 is a big day for Americans. Election Day! Below are some historical tidbits about former presidents.

Did you know that 3 former presidents got their start in North Carolina?

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was born in the area of Waxhaws near the North and South Carolina border. Even though his parents lived in North Carolina there is a debate among historians as to which state Jackson’s birth actually took place. Jackson lived in South Carolina during his early childhood years but returned to North Carolina after the Revolutionary War to study law in Salisbury, North Carolina. He was then appointed to be a “prosecuting officer for the Superior Court, in Nashville, Tennessee, which at that time was a part of the Western District of North Carolina”. In 1976, Tennessee became a separate state, taking Jackson with them as the state’s first congressman. He was elected president in 1828 and again in 1832.
http://ncpedia.org/biography/jackson-andrew

James K. Polk (1795-1849) was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on his family's farm. His education was informal until 1813 when he enrolled in a Presbyterian school in Columbia. In 1816, Polk transferred to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with honors in 1818. In 1819, Polk moved to Tennessee to study law. This led to Polk attaining his first political post in 1823 where he won the election to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Polk "Young Hickory" served as Speaker of the House for the last four years of this term. In 1839 Polk won the election to become governor of Tennessee. In 1844, Polk defeated competitors Clay and Birney to become president of the United States. The James K. Polk Memorial is located in Pineville, North Carolina. The site consists of a reconstructed house, kitchen, and barn as well as the relocated Polk family cemetery and is "the probable birthplace" of the nation's eleventh president.

http://ncpedia.org/james-k-polk-memorial

http://ncpedia.org/biography/polk-james

Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up in a small wooden house where he taught himself to read while apprenticing in a tailor shop. Johnson fled Raleigh after causing mischief with some friends. During this time he lived in Carthage and Laurens, North Carolina but returned to Raleigh after a year to continue his apprenticeship. However, there was no longer a need for an apprentice and no other work to be found so Johnson and his family made their way west to Tennessee. Even though Johnson was never formally educated, he went on to be elected president of the United States in 1865. Johnson’s childhood home is still preserved today at Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh, NC.
http://ncpedia.org/biography/johnson-andrew

Fun fact: All 3 presidents were elected to office from the state of Tennessee.
http://ncpedia.org/biography/johnson-andrew

To learn more about the history of political parties in North Carolina check out this article from NCpedia.

No matter who you are voting for today, we hope you take the opportunity to exercise your right to vote.