Liberty and Freedom
NORTH CAROLINA TOUR OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS
For more information contact (919) 807-7385.
(RALEIGH, N.C.) — Standing in the history-filled Search Room of the State Archives on Friday, Feb. 2, Dr. Jeffrey Crow, head of the Office of Archives and History in the Department of Cultural Resources, officially kicked off “Liberty and Freedom: North Carolina’s Tour of the Bill of Rights.” North Carolina’s original copy of the Bill of Rights, taken from the State Capitol in 1865, and recovered in an undercover operation in 2003, will travel to seven locations throughout the year.
“The Bill of Rights plays an important part in the daily life of the United States, and North Carolina played a key part in the birth of the Bill of Rights,” said Crow. “North Carolina refused to join the United States until a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.”
Taken during the Union occupation of Raleigh during the final days of the Civil War, the Bill of Rights came home to North Carolina in 2005 after 140 years. North Carolina Governor Mike Easley set in motion the creation of a team of law enforcement officials from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Dealers were trying to sell the document to a museum in Philadelphia.
“Liberty and Freedom” is part of “History Happens Here,” which is Cultural Resources’ departmental theme for 2007. Each stop on the tour will feature speakers who will highlight a different amendment:
- The first stop on the tour is in Fayetteville, home of the state’s oldest newspaper still being published, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9-11. Dr. William S. Price, professor emeritus of History at Meredith College, will discuss Freedom of the Press. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum.
- Wilmington, home of the oldest synagogue in the state will highlight Freedom of Religion, March 9-11. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum.
- Edenton, home of North Carolina’s oldest courthouse, will host Freedom of Speech, April 19-21. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton. Historic Edenton is one of 27 North Carolina State Historic Sites.
- Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, will highlight Non-Enumerated Rights during Constitution Week, Sept. 17-23. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the North Carolina Museum of History.
- Charlotte, home of the Mecklenburg Resolves, will showcase the Right to Assemble/Petition, Oct. 5-7. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the library and performing arts center ImaginOn.
- Asheville, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, will host Right to a Jury Trial and Due Process, Nov. 8-10. The Bill of Rights will be on display at UNC-Asheville.
- Greensboro, site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse will feature the Right to Bear Arms, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Greensboro Historical Museum.
Signatures on the North Carolina copy include Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg as speaker of the House of Representatives and John Adams as U.S. vice-president and president of the Senate. The document also has the signatures of John Beckley, clerk of the House of Representatives and Samuel A. Otis, secretary of the Senate.
The fragile document is made of parchment. It is approximately 31 3/8 inches x 26 1/2 inches. After the document’s recovery, the Department of Cultural Resources had it professionally conserved.
“Liberty and Freedom” is presented by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, which includes the State Archives, 27 historic sites, seven history museums, Historical Publications, Offices of Archaeology and Preservation, the State Library, including genealogy, the N.C. Arts Council, N.C. Museum of Art, and N.C. Symphony. Many programs relating to “History Happens Here” will be part of the department’s programming.
Cultural Resources is a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.
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