Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission [1]
Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission
[2]The Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission was established by the 1959 General Assembly [3] in order to plan for observations of the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Carolina charter [4] in 1663. The celebration centered on educational and public observances of the first century of the colony's official existence. Pamphlets, brochures, and leaflets were prepared for various age levels. A 30-minute motion picture was produced, as was a one-act historic opera (The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair [5], by Carlisle Floyd), and a symphony (North State). A mobile Museum of History toured the state displaying historical artifacts. A literary competition, religious commemorations, a commemorative postage stamp [6], and local county observances were important components of the celebration.
One enduring contribution of the Tercentenary Commission was the construction of a building to house the State Archives [7], a museum of history, and other historical agencies. The groundbreaking ceremony for such an edifice took place in October 1963. The commission also sparked a new edition of The Colonial Records of North Carolina [8]; in 1961 the North Carolina Colonial Records Project came into being, and the first of the project's nine volumes was published for the tercentenary in 1963.
Additional Resources:
Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission. Report of the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission. Raleigh, N.C.: State Dept. of Archives and History. 1964. https://archive.org/details/reportofcarolina00caro [2] (November 5, 2012).
"An Act to Create the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission." p.1391-1392. Session laws and resolutions passed by the General Assembly. Winston-Salem. N.C.: Winston Printing Company. 1959. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/session-laws-and-resolutions-passed-by-the-general-assembly-1959/4016210?item=4063613 [9]
"An Act to Appropriate Funds to the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission." Session laws and resolutions passed by the General Assembly. Winston-Salem. N.C.: Winston Printing Company. 1961. p.1474. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/session-laws-and-resolutions-passed-by-the-general-assembly-1961/4016216?item=4065617 [10] (November 2, 2012).
Parker, Mattie Erma Edwards. North Carolina Charters and Constitutions, 1578 - 1698. Raleigh: Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission.1963. http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/222.html [11]
Image Credits:
Futrell, Madlin. "Governor and Mrs. Terry Sanford lead the procession of costumed officials at ceremonies held Jan. 4 at the Executive Mansion to inaugurate the year-long observance." Report of the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission. Raleigh, N.C.: State Dept. of Archives and History. 1964. p. 4. https://archive.org/details/reportofcarolina00caro [2] (November 5, 2012).
1 January 2006 | Cain, Robert J.