1.
Governor of North Carolina
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The Governor of North Carolina is the head of the executive branch of North Carolinas state government and serves as commander-in-chief of the states military forces. The current governor is Roy Cooper who took office on January 1,2017, among other responsibilities, the governor heads the Council of State. The Governor of North Carolina was the last state chief executive to receive veto power, the Governor of North Carolina has extensive powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. Nevertheless, the office has an amount of institutional power compared to governors in other states. Originally, under the first North Carolina Constitution, the office was very weak, dudley became the first governor elected by the people in 1836. Governors served two-year terms from 1836 until a new constitution was adopted in 1868, since then, well into the twentieth century, the North Carolina state constitution made the states governor one of the weakest in the nation. Until an amendment was added to the constitution in 1971, North Carolina Governors could only serve a single four-year term. After the amendment was passed, in 1980 James B. Hunt became the first governor in history to be elected to a second term. Governors are still limited to two consecutive four-year terms, but they may run for further non-consecutive terms. Governor Hunt did just that, winning election to a third, the Lieutenant Governor is also limited to two consecutive four-year terms. North Carolina was also the last state in the Union to give its governors veto power over legislation, after the state gained its independence from Britain, the state constitution deliberately weakened the executive branch of state government and strengthened the legislative branch. Since the end of Reconstruction in the 1870s the overwhelming majority of the governors have been Democrats. The only Republican to be elected Governor between 1876 and 1972 was Daniel L. Russell, who served 1897–1901, even so, Republicans have still had difficulty in winning gubernatorial elections in North Carolina, and the office has usually remained in Democratic hands. The Governor lives in the North Carolina Executive Mansion, a Queen Anne style Victorian house in downtown Raleigh and his or her principal office is located in the North Carolina State Capitol. com North Carolina Encyclopedia
2.
John Branch
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Branch was born in Halifax County, North Carolina, on November 4,1782, the son of wealthy landowners. Educated at the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of the Philanthropic Society, he occupied himself as a planter, Branch served in the North Carolina Senate from 1811 to 1817 and was the states Governor from 1817 to 1820. After further service in the state Senate, he represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1823 until 1829 and was a supporter of Andrew Jackson. When Jackson became President, he selected Branch as his Secretary of the Navy, in that post, Branch promoted several reforms in the Navys policies and administration, many of which were not implemented until years later. He reduced the resources going to the construction of new ships, Branch also sent the frigate USS Potomac to the Far East to punish the murderers of a U. S. merchant ships crew and to generally promote and protect American commerce in the region. John Branch resigned as Secretary in 1831, during the Petticoat affair, which involved the social ostracism of Margaret ONeill Eaton, Eaton by a group of Cabinet members and their wives led by Floride Calhoun, the wife of Vice President John C. Later that year, Branch was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives as a Jacksonian, in the mid-1830s, he moved to Leon County, Florida, where he lived for much of the next decade-and-a-half on his Live Oak Plantation. In 1844, President John Tyler appointed him Floridas territorial governor until the 1845 election of a governor under the state constitution, Branch returned to North Carolina in the early 1850s, remaining there until his death on January 4,1863. Branch is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Enfield, North Carolina, Branch was an uncle of the Confederate General Lawrence OBryan Branch. American National Biography Dictionary of American Biography Buccellato, Robert, raleigh, NC, Commercial Printing Co.1915 Hoffmann, William S. John Branch and the Origins of the Whig Party in North Carolina. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress John Branch at Find a Grave
3.
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
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The president pro tempore of the United States Senate, also president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate. Unlike the vice president, the president pro tempore is a member of the Senate. Selected by the Senate at large, the president pro tempore has enjoyed many privileges, during the vice presidents absence, the president pro tempore is empowered to preside over Senate sessions. Since 1890, the most senior senator in the majority party has generally chosen to be president pro tempore. This tradition has been observed without interruption since 1949, the current President pro tempore of the Senate is Utah Republican Orrin Hatch. Elected on January 6,2015, he is the 90th person to serve in this office, although the position is in some ways analogous to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the powers of the president pro tempore are far more limited. The president pro tempore is third in the line of succession, following the vice president. Additional duties include appointment of various officers, certain commissions, advisory boards. The officeholder is an ex member of various boards and commissions. With the secretary and sergeant at arms, the president pro tempore maintains order in Senate portions of the Capitol, the office of president pro tempore was established by the Constitution of the United States in 1789. The first president pro tempore, John Langdon, was elected on April 6 the same year, originally, the president pro tempore was appointed on an intermittent basis when the vice president was not present to preside over the Senate. Until the 1960s, it was practice for the vice president to preside over daily Senate sessions. Until 1891, the president pro tempore only served until the return of the president to the chair or the adjournment of a session of Congress. Between 1792 and 1886, the president pro tempore was second in the line of succession following the vice president. When President Andrew Johnson, who had no president, was impeached and tried in 1868. Wades radicalism is thought by historians to be a major reason why the Senate. The President pro tempore and the Speaker of the House were removed from the line of succession in 1886. Both were restored to it in 1947, though this time with the president pro tempore following the speaker, William P. Frye served as President pro tempore from 1896 to 1911 (54th–62nd Congress, a tenure longer than anyone else
4.
John Brown (Kentucky)
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John Brown was an American lawyer and statesman who participated in development and formation of the State of Kentucky after the American Revolutionary War. Brown represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and the U. S. Congress, while in Congress, he introduced the bill granting Statehood to Kentucky. Once that was accomplished, he was elected by the new state legislature as a U. S, John Brown was born in Augusta County, Virginia, on September 12,1757. He was a son of Reverend John Brown and Margaret Preston Brown, the son of a Presbyterian minister and schoolmaster, John was well educated, first at his fathers Liberty Hall Academy, and then at the College of New Jersey. His studies at Princeton were halted, temporarily, as a result of the approach of English troops during the American Revolutionary War, Browns role during the Revolutionary War is unclear. The family tradition was that Brown served under General George Washington, two years after he left the College of New Jersey, Brown enrolled at The College of William & Mary where he studied law. In the fall of 1780, his studies were interrupted by the War, Brown continued to study law by reading it while working in the office of Thomas Jefferson near Charlottesville, Virginia. Brown married Margaretta Mason on February 21,1799 and they had five children together, only two of whom lived to adulthood, Mason Brown was born in Philadelphia. Orlando was born at Liberty Hall, Alfred was born at Liberty Hall on February 23,1803 and died on January 29,1804, a second Alfred was born on May 9,1804 and died on July 30,1805. Euphemia Helen, their youngest child and only daughter, was born on May 24,1807 and she died of a calomiel overdose on October 1,1814. Brown became politically active after being admitted to the bar and he was elected to the Virginia state Senate, succeeding William Christian, where he served from 1783 to 1788. He was succeeded by William Russell, the Virginia legislature sent him as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1787 and 1788. Constitution became effective, Brown was twice elected to the U. S. House of Representatives, as a Congressman representing Virginia, Brown introduced the petition for Kentucky Statehood. When Kentucky became a state in 1792, he resigned from the House on June 1,1792, on June 18, the Kentucky legislature elected him to the United States Senate for a term ending in 1793. He was re-elected twice and served until 1805 and he was President pro tem during the Eighth Congress. During Browns Senate service, he moved to Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1805, Brown was defeated for re-election to the Senate and retired to Liberty Hall. He remained active in a number of matters for the remaining thirty years of his life. In 1800, he purchased a ferry crossed the Kentucky River at Frankfort
5.
Joseph Anderson
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He also served as one of three judges of the Southwest Territory in the 1790s, and was a delegate to the Tennessee state constitutional convention in 1796. Anderson was born at White Marsh, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Anderson fought at the Battle of Monmouth, and was with the army during its difficult 1777 wintering at Valley Forge. In 1781, he transferred to the 1st New Jersey Regiment, at the end of the war, Anderson was discharged with the rank of major. Having studied law prior to the war, he was admitted to the Delaware bar and he was a member of Military Lodge No 19 of Pennsylvania, and became a member of Lodge No 36 while in the New Jersey Brigade. After the war, he was the first Senior Warden of Princeton Lodge No 38 in Princeton, in 1791, President George Washington appointed Anderson United States judge of the newly formed Southwest Territory. He served alongside David Campbell and John McNairy, No records of any of the trials presided over by Anderson survive, with the exception of a 1794 murder trial. This trial, conducted at the Tellico Blockhouse, concerned an Indian charged with killing settler Joseph Ish, in 1792, Anderson married Patience Outlaw, the daughter of Tennessee pioneer Alexander Outlaw. His wifes dowry included land along the Nolichucky River in what is now Hamblen County, in 1796, Anderson and his father-in-law represented Jefferson County at Tennessees constitutional convention in Knoxville. Anderson swore in the new states first legislature later that year, in 1797, Anderson was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to fill the vacancy in the Senate created by that bodys expulsion of the seats original occupant, William Blount. Anderson was reelected to this seat in 1803, and again in 1809, in the latter election, he defeated retiring governor John Sevier by a vote of 23 to 16. Anderson voted against a Senate proposal to have Blount arrested in 1797 and he opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts, federal intervention into the issue of slavery, and the rechartering of the national bank. He voted in favor of the War of 1812, in the Eighth Congress, he served as the Senates president pro tempore. After retiring from the Senate, Anderson was appointed Comptroller of the U. S. Treasury by President James Madison and he died in Washington on April 17,1837, and was interred in the Congressional Cemetery. Andersons son, Alexander Outlaw Anderson, served as a U. S, senator from Tennessee from 1840 to 1841, and helped organize the government of the State of California in the early 1850s. Another son, William, served in the legislature. Anderson County, Tennessee, is named for Joseph Anderson, biographical Directory of the United States Congress
6.
United States House of Representatives
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The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the Senate, composes the legislature of the United States. The composition and powers of the House are established by Article One of the United States Constitution, since its inception in 1789, all representatives are elected popularly. The total number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435, the House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the President for consideration. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the members thereof and is traditionally the leader of the controlling party. He or she and other leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conferences. The House meets in the wing of the United States Capitol. Under the Articles of Confederation, the Congress of the Confederation was a body in which each state was equally represented. All states except Rhode Island agreed to send delegates, the issue of how to structure Congress was one of the most divisive among the founders during the Convention. The House is referred to as the house, with the Senate being the upper house. Both houses approval is necessary for the passage of legislation, the Virginia Plan drew the support of delegates from large states such as Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan, the Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states in 1788, but its implementation was set for March 4,1789. The House began work on April 1,1789, when it achieved a quorum for the first time, during the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the Senate over regionally divisive issues, including slavery. The North was much more populous than the South, and therefore dominated the House of Representatives, However, the North held no such advantage in the Senate, where the equal representation of states prevailed. Regional conflict was most pronounced over the issue of slavery, One example of a provision repeatedly supported by the House but blocked by the Senate was the Wilmot Proviso, which sought to ban slavery in the land gained during the Mexican–American War. Conflict over slavery and other issues persisted until the Civil War, the war culminated in the Souths defeat and in the abolition of slavery. Because all southern senators except Andrew Johnson resigned their seats at the beginning of the war, the years of Reconstruction that followed witnessed large majorities for the Republican Party, which many Americans associated with the Unions victory in the Civil War and the ending of slavery. The Reconstruction period ended in about 1877, the ensuing era, the Democratic and the Republican Party held majorities in the House at various times. The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw an increase in the power of the Speaker of the House
7.
North Carolina
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North Carolina is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, North Carolina is the 28th most extensive and the 9th most populous of the U. S. states. The state is divided into 100 counties, the most populous municipality is Charlotte, which is the second largest banking center in the United States after New York City. The state has a range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to 6,684 feet at Mount Mitchell. The climate of the plains is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the falls in the humid subtropical climate zone. More than 300 miles from the coast, the western, mountainous part of the state has a highland climate. North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, the United States Census Bureau places North Carolina in the South Atlantic division of the southern region. So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the most famous of these is the Queen Annes Revenge, which went aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718. The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, the Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the states most populous region, containing the six largest cities in the state by population. It consists of rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. The Piedmont ranges from about 300 feet in elevation in the east to about 1,500 feet in the west, the western section of the state is part of the Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Appalachians located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, the Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet, the highest point east of the Mississippi River. North Carolina has 17 major river basins, the five basins west of the Blue Ridge Mountains flow to the Gulf of Mexico, while the remainder flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 17 basins,11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the states border – the Cape Fear, the Neuse, the White Oak, and the Tar-Pamlico basin. Elevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state, the climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, especially in the coastal plain. These influences tend to cause warmer winter temperatures along the coast, the coastal plain averages around 1 inch of snow or ice annually, and in many years, there may be no snow or ice at all. North Carolina experiences severe weather in summer and winter, with summer bringing threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rain
8.
North Carolina's 3rd congressional district
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North Carolinas 3rd congressional district is located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It covers the Outer Banks and the adjacent to the Pamlico Sound. The district is represented by Walter B and he has been its representative since 1995. In 2008, he defeated Democrat Craig Weber for reelection, and was challenged in 2010 by former Chair of the Pitt County Democratic Party Johnny Rouse, in 2012, he was challenged by Frank Palombo, the former New Bern Police Chief, for the Republican Party nomination. The winner of the Republican primary then faced Marine Corps Veteran Erik Anderson in the general election, North Carolinas congressional districts List of United States congressional districts Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, the Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present Rouse for Congress, North Carolina election results - Politics - Decision 2010 - msnbc. com
9.
Joseph Winston
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Col. Joseph Winston was an American pioneer, planter and Revolutionary War hero from North Carolina, and the first cousin of statesman and Virginia governor Patrick Henry. In 1766, Winston moved to the part of Rowan County, North Carolina. During the American Revolutionary War he was a major, leading a company of riflemen in several important battles, including the Battle of Kings Mountain, Winston later represented North Carolina as a U. S. Congressman and also served in the North Carolina Senate and he is buried in the National Park at the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House, where a monument erected in 1893 notes Winstons command of the militia forces. The town of Winston, North Carolina is named for him, biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Statue of Joseph Winston, Monument, Guilford Courthouse, National Park Service, nps. gov
