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The
Charlotte Skyline |
Incorporated in 1768 and
named for the wife of King George III, Charlotte
has constantly redeveloped itself, growing into the largest city in North
Carolina. The Queen City, as it is nicknamed, has changed from an agrarian
township to a gold town, textile center and banking giant. Now, Charlotte is
the second largest banking center in the United
States of America behind New
York City, New York.
Visitors to the city are
treated to historical attractions as well as a vast and varied range of events
and recreational activities. Charlotte is ideally located to take in the wonders
of North Carolina, as it is a three-hour drive from the Atlantic beaches and
only two hours from the Blue Mountains.
ORIENTATION
Charlotte is located in
the Piedmont region (a plateau that lies between the coastal plains and the
Appalachian Mountains) of North Carolina, along the state's southern border
with South Carolina.
Columbia,
South Carolina, is 140 mi (225 km) south of Charlotte via Interstate Highway
77. The triangle cities of Winston-Salem,
High
Point and Greensboro
are approximately 85 mi (137 km) north of the city along Interstate Highway
85.
HISTORY
Pioneers from Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania,
settled east of the Catawba River and, by 1768, the township of Charlotte was
incorporated and the population slowly grew. The town, Charlotte, and the county,
Mecklenburg, were named for the wife of King George III.
By 1775, the love and respect
that had led to naming the area after the King's wife had dissolved. Due to
a series of tax acts and King George's revoking of many rights previously granted
to the colonists, the people of Charlotte and the rest of the American colony
pushed for independence. On May 20, 1775, the Committee of Mecklenburg met in
Charlotte. Citizens of Charlotte allege that the Committee wrote the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence (also known as the Meck Dec). While an original
copy has never been found, if the Meck Dec had been written and survived, this
declaration to shed the shackles of British rule would have preceded the Declaration
of Independence by over a year. Although no proof exists that the Meck Dec was
written in 1775, there is proof that, on May 31, 1775, the Committee did write
the Mecklenburg Resolves, which implied independence without declaring it. Whatever
documents were written or were alleged to have been written, Charlotte was on
the forefront of the movement towards independence from Britain. From 1776 to
1783 the Revolutionary War raged across the American colonies, ending with the
signing of the Treaty of Paris, Great Britain's recognition of the United States
of America as a sovereign and free nation.
|
Charlotte to ... |
Distance* |
Time** |
| Chattanooga,
TN |
350 mi (563 km) |
6
hr 45 min |
| Columbia,
SC |
140
mi (225 km) |
3
hr |
| Durham,
NC |
145
mi (233 km) |
2
hr 55 min |
| Fayetteville,
NC |
140
mi (225 km) |
3
hr 30 min |
| Florence,
SC |
130
mi (209 km) |
3
hr 15 min |
| Greensboro,
NC |
95
mi (153 km) |
2
hr 10 min |
| Greenville,
SC |
105
mi (169 km) |
2
hr |
|
Hickory, NC |
60
mi (97 km) |
1
hr 15 min |
|
High Point, NC |
80
mi (129 km) |
1
hr 45 min |
|
Knoxville, TN |
245
mi (394 km) |
5
hr |
|
Raleigh, NC |
170
mi (274 km) |
3
hr 15 min |
|
Wilmington, NC |
200
mi (322 km) |
4
hr 55 min |
|
Winston-Salem, NC |
80
mi (129 km) |
1
hr 45 min |
|
|
Charlotte
Distance Table
(*Est. driving distance,**Est. driving time) |
|
From 1799, until the California
Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, gold fever gripped prospectors in Charlotte after
a 17-pound gold nugget was discovered. By 1837, the city was such an important
financial center that the United States Mint established a branch in the city.
For almost 50 years, Charlotte was the center of gold production in the United
States.
In 1861, North Carolina
seceded from the United States of America and joined the Confederate States
of America. Over the Civil War years, Charlotte was spared from battle but contributed
by making uniforms and ordnance for the war effort.
Following the Civil War,
the next wave of prosperity for Charlotte came from the partnership of the cotton
and transportation industries. The cotton produced in North Carolina was shipped
to the rest of the world via steam railway. Charlotte boomed again as a major
rail center between Atlanta,
Georgia, and
Richmond,
Virginia. The
growth brought diversification with a range of companies setting up in the city.
By 1880, textile mills began to arrive, allowing raw cotton to be refined locally
instead of being shipped to factories in the north. And, by 1891, the city gained
improvements such as an electric trolley system, hydro-electric power, and suburbs.
All worked together to encourage Charlotte's growth.
By 1913, rail lines spread
from Charlotte in eight directions, signaling the city's start as a transportation
hub.
Prior to the U.S. Civil
War, segregation of races was common practice, and generally law, throughout
the United States. Separate washrooms, eating facilities, and neighborhoods
enforced discrimination of African-American society by Caucasians. In Charlotte,
life was no different. That is, until the mid-1960s when President Lyndon B.
Johnson attempted to deal with demands for equal rights between races. With
the signing of a comprehensive civil rights act, it was illegal to discriminate
in voting, the use of public facilities and education. It was in education where
Charlotte made historical headway. Following a landmark case—Swann vs. the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Board of Education—busing was used as a tool to help integrate schools. By the
early 1970s, Charlotte became known as the "city that made integration work."
| |
| Month
|
Average
daily temperature |
Average Rainfall |
| Max
|
Min
|
| Jan
|
30°F (-1°C)
|
49°F
(9°C)
|
94 mm |
| Feb
|
32°F
(0°C) |
53°F
(12°C) |
98 mm |
| Mar
|
40°F
(4°C) |
62°F
(17°C) |
113 mm |
| Apr
|
48°F
(9°C) |
71°F
(22°C) |
68 mm |
| May
|
57°F
(14°C) |
78°F
(26°C) |
97 mm |
| Jun
|
66°F
(19°C) |
86°F
(30°C) |
86 mm |
| Jul
|
70°F
(21°C) |
89°F
(32°C) |
100 mm |
| Aug
|
69°F
(21°C) |
88°F
(31°C) |
95 mm |
| Sep
|
63°F
(17°C) |
82°F
(28°C) |
89 mm |
| Oct
|
51°F
(10°C) |
72°F
(22°C) |
85 mm |
| Nov
|
42°F
(5°C) |
63°F
(17°C) |
82 mm |
| Dec
|
33°F
(0°C) |
52°F
(11°C) |
88 mm |
|
| |
Mean
Temperature and Rainfall in Charlotte, NC |
Since then, Charlotte has
continued to change and prosper. This growth and success was signaled when the
National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL)
awarded professional sports franchises to Charlotte, the Charlotte Hornets and
the Carolina
Panthers. The Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans following the 2001-02
season but the Panthers remain a competitive team within the NFL.
CLIMATE
A moderate climate of warm
summers and cool winters makes Charlotte a comfortable place to visit year-round.
Summers in Charlotte are long and when winter does arrive, very little snow
accumulates, if any. Generally, the first snowfall does not come to Charlotte
until late November or early December. The city's location on North Carolina's
Piedmont and its distance from the Atlantic Ocean also encourage this moderate
climate.
Hurricanes occasionally
affect the coastal region of North Carolina; however, Charlotte is rarely affected
by more than heavy rain during these occasions. During the remainder of the
year, rainfall is fairly consistent except for some dry spells during the fall.
TRANSPORTATION
With Interstate highways 77
and 85 intersecting at Charlotte, reaching the city by road is an easy option.
Greyhound provides motorcoach connections to cities throughout the
United States, with daily departures to all major centers.
Charlotte can also be reached
by rail service provided by Amtrak. The Carolinian
and Piedmont line connects Charlotte to New York City.
One of three hubs for US
Airways, Charlotte
Douglas International Airport connects Charlotte to the world by air.
CHARLOTTE FEATURED ATTRACTIONS
The Mint Museum
During the U.S. Civil War, the Charlotte Mint was taken over by confederate
soldiers. Once the war was over, the Mint no longer manufactured money but was
used instead as an assay office, analyzing and certifying gold. In following
years, the building was also used as a home for the Charlotte's Women's Club
and the Red Cross. By 1933, the building was threatened by surrounding construction,
so preservationists bought the building and moved it to its current location
where, in 1936, the Mint
Museum opened to the public showcasing fine art.
Visitors to the museum can
see arts of the Americas, complete with exhibits on American art influences
such as the art of Africa, ancient America, and the Spanish colonies. The Mint
Museum also has a sister museum in Charlotte, the Mint
Museum of Craft and Design, which highlights contemporary studio craft
in ceramics, metal, wood, glass and fiber.
 |
| Hezekiah
Alexander Historic Homesite at the Charlotte Museum of History |
|
Museums of the South
To gain a greater perspective of the South, visitors to Charlotte can visit
two museums that preserve the region's history—the Charlotte
Museum of History and the Levine
Museum of the New South. The Charlotte Museum of History explores the
issues and events that influenced the development of the South from the 18th
through the 20th centuries. Permanent exhibits include the American Freedom
Bell, an 18th-century barn reconstruction and the Hezekiah Alexander Historic
Homesite. The home is the oldest in Charlotte, constructed in 1774 and restored
to represent life in early Charlotte. Costumed docents help to make this leap
of imagination possible.
The Levine Museum of the
New South concentrates on the South after the Civil War. The centerpiece of
this museum is an exhibit detailing the development from cotton fields to metropolitan
centers. This museum also features a 1960s-era lunch counter in an exhibit about
segregation.
Other Charlotte museums
include the Carolinas
Aviation Museum and the Nature
Museum.
Historic Rosedale Plantation
The Historic
Rosedale Plantation provides a unique look into life on an antebellum
(pre-Civil War) estate. The house on the plantation is one of the finest examples
of Federal Period architecture in North Carolina, still furnished with mahogany
faux-grained paneling, hand-carved mantels and some original, French wallpaper
from the 1800s. As well, the grounds and gardens of the plantation offer guests
a pleasant walk among a variety of ancient trees, some planted as early as 1855.
Regular tours of the plantation are conducted during the afternoon and special
interpretive tours can be arranged for larger groups.
For another example of plantation
life on the Piedmont, visit the Historic
Latta Plantation, which is located 12 mi (19 km) northwest of Charlotte
in Huntersville.
Charlotte Events & Activities
Other than museums and historical attractions, Charlotte is home to a host of
entertaining events and activities. Each September, Festival
in the Park celebrates the products of local artisans and musicians.
Freedom Park and the lakefront are colored with the tents and lights of this
four-day, family-oriented festival.
Lowe's
Motor Speedway is home of auto racing in Charlotte, providing fans with
regular Winston Cup and NASCAR races such as the Coca-Cola 600, a long and grueling
race. Annually, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL play regular season home games
at Ericsson
Stadium. And, the North
Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center offers performing arts presentations
at five different venues throughout the year.
In North Carolina, golf
is a favorite pastime, with many courses open year-round. Dozens of public,
resort, semi-private and private golf
courses are within an easy drive from Charlotte. Even more are available
for those in the mood for a road trip.
