The prevailing image of Charlotte is that of New South dynamo—a commerce-driven city comprised of glass, steel, concrete and new construction. At first glance this image seems perfectly correct. A look at the Queen City skyline leads people to believe Charlotte has little to offer in the way of history. Also, many current residents are transplants who haven’t taken the time to learn the city’s significance in the annals of history, so it becomes a prevailing attitude amongst residents that Charlotte is historically lacking.
Yet, a closer inspection reveals a city that was the site of the first gold rush in the United States; a city that hosted the final meetings of the cabinet of the Confederate States of America; a city that built Camp Greene to house tens of thousands of troops during World War I; and a city that can lay claim to officially declaring its independence from England more than a year before the rest of the original 13 colonies created the Declaration of Independence. Most people don’t realize our 11th President—James K. Polk—was born and raised in Pineville and his homestead is a state historic site just beyond the shadows of Carolina Place Mall and the area’s shopping centers.
This chapter serves as an eye-opening study of Charlotte’s background. It shows how past events molded the city into what it is today, and how our Scots-Irish roots fostered a collectively strong personality that still exists in the Queen City.