A firebrand Charlotte preacher who inspired revolution
A firebrand Charlotte preacher who inspired revolution
Plus: Top news of the week — Frontier adds nonstop flights; Panthers hire new head coach; CMS stocks Narcan; BofA gets serious about back-to-work rules
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Historical Heavyweights: Alexander Craighead – His fierce rhetoric from the pulpit stoked a regional zeal for freedom
Editor’s note: You see their names on street signs or parks, but who were some of the big-name people from decades ago who shaped Charlotte? They have fascinating stories, and for the next few Saturdays, we’re sharing them with you.
by John Short
Picture yourself in the mid-1750s in the Carolina backcountry: Life is hard, the terrain is unforgiving, and red clay gets everywhere when it rains.
Despite the hardships, you’ve carved out a nice enough life for your family around the intersection of the Great Wagon Road and the Tuckaseegee Trail trading path (today's Trade and Tryon streets). The others who have settled in the area are similarly hard-working, Scots-Irish, and importantly, as religiously devout as you.
No decision is more important than the church at which you choose to worship, and you’ve heard about the passions coming from the pulpit at Sugar Creek Church.
The pastor is high-energy, which you’ve seen before. But this fella is different. This guy really, REALLY doesn’t like the British controlling so much of daily life. He’s talking about how every individual is the king of their own life — a sacred right that no government, foreign or domestic, has a right to infringe upon.
The pastor is Alexander Craighead, arguably the first in a long line of the Charlotte area’s charismatic celebrity preachers.
A memorial to Craighead in historic Elmwood Cemetery in uptown Charlotte. (findagrave.com)
Craighead had quite the journey to get here. Born in Donegal, Ireland, in 1707, his family emigrated to Boston in 1714. Alexander’s father, Thomas Craighead, was a reverend, too, and Alexander studied theology under his father until becoming ordained in 1735 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Craighead was a firebrand in the pulpit, captivating his congregations with intense and unapologetic rhetoric. He was a fierce champion of religious and individual independence from political or government oversight. His ideas reflected the teachings of the Scottish Secession church, with disdain for any attempts at secular influence over church sovereignty.
Craighead’s career in the pulpit rode the cultural wave of the First “Great Awakening” movement in America, a revival of religious devotion that spread through the American colonies during the late 1730s and was led by British evangelist George Whitfield. Craighead’s oratory approach echoed the movement, which was stylistically theatrical and expressive, and he often shouted his message from the pulpit. Unlike the stuffy and inaccessible Church of England, the messages of the Great Awakening were intended for the common man.
The style of the Great Awakening wasn’t without its detractors, and Craighead was quickly embroiled in controversy early in his preaching career in Pennsylvania. In 1741, Craighead was caught up in a local church schism, in which one sect left the church over a disagreement around subjugation to the British government. The group that Craighead sided with swore to never pledge allegiance to the British government and refused to hold any official government office.
Craighead continued his controversial message beyond the pulpit and into the written word, having his writings published and distributed by Benjamin Franklin himself. These essays, critical of the provincial government in the colonies, caught the eye of the British, who deemed that they were “calculated to foment disloyal and rebellious practices.”
Falling out of favor with the government carried little consequence beyond a slap on the wrist for Craighead, and he would ultimately move south and west to Augusta County, Virginia, in 1749. Shortly after his arrival, Alexander was arrested for treasonous sermons but was allowed to continue preaching if he toned down his message.
Ultimately, Craighead and his congregation made their way to what is now Mecklenburg County in the Carolina backcountry in 1757. Craighead and his crew joined a sparse group of settlers in the area, as it wouldn’t be incorporated as a city until 1768 as Charlotte Town (so named for King George III’s wife, Charlotte).
Upon his arrival, Craighead served as the pastor at both Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church and Rocky River Church. Sugar Creek was the first church established in Mecklenburg County, founded in 1755 (originally spelled “Sugar,” the church changed the spelling to “Sugaw” in 1924 — it’s located near the intersection of West Sugar Creek Road and North Tryon Street, and one of church’s cemeteries is off nearby Craighead Road).
Craighead’s message from the pulpit to the citizens of the Carolina backcountry was as revolutionary as ever. Three years into his tenure, Craighead left Rocky River Church, supposedly because two church leaders had the audacity to work with the British government to establish the boundary line between North and South Carolina. To Alexander, this cooperation was unacceptable, as it accepted the imposition of authority from outside the local community.
He would spend his remaining days dedicated to Sugar Creek Church until his death in 1766 at the age of 58. According to legend, one of the wooden markers on his grave grew into a large sassafras tree that was crafted into a wooden pulpit and used for decades at the church.
Craighead’s Great Awakening bona fides set the spiritual tone for the settlers of what is now Mecklenburg County. This fiercely independent attitude, with Craighead as a foundational influence as one of their religious leaders, was deemed by the British government to be too controversial in more established towns of the colonies. Craighead’s message found a home in the Charlotte region, and he earned his reputation as the spiritual father of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
It’s true that no document exists to prove the veracity of the MeckDec, a controversial document purported to be the first official Declaration of Independence from British rule in the colonies.
But Craighead’s writings and bold stances from the pulpit, coupled with the fact that Mecklenburg County provided over 25% of North Carolina’s revolutionary troops (despite only having 3% of the colony’s population) provides some compelling circumstantial evidence that the early settlers of Charlotte took the bold, foolhardy step to declare independence from British rule.
John Short is a freelance writer and co-host of The Charlotte Podcast who loves digging up Charlotte’s past and pondering its future. Say hey when you see him on the streetcar.
➡️ This is our third season of “Historical Heavyweights.” For previous installments of this feature — including profiles of settler Thomas Polk, doctor J.T. Williams, businessman Edward Dilworth Latta, westside visionary Henry L. McCrorey, snack pioneer Philip Van Every and more — check out our Historical Heavyweights page.
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SUNDAY: “The Zone of Interest” Talkback Screening, 2:40-5:30 p.m., The Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St., Charlotte. The IPH’s 2:40 p.m. Sunday screening of “The Zone of Interest” will be followed by a special talkback discussion with retired UNC Charlotte Professor Robert Reimer, an expert in German cinema and author of five published books on the Nazis’ use of film. Free with film ticket purchase.
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This week in Charlotte: Panthers hire new coach and GM; Home sales fell 20% last year; Aldersgate CEO ousted; BofA get strict on back-to-work rules
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
CMS approves Narcan: (WSOC) The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education unanimously approved the use of Narcan, a nasal spray to reverse opioid overdoses, in every school building, with school nurses trained on its use.
Teachers asked to repay money: (WSOC) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is asking 225 high school English teachers to repay $1,250 after it erroneously added the bonuses to their paychecks this month. The money was intended for new teachers. The district said it was an “unfortunate oversight.”
Politics
Same transportation plan, new talking points: (Transit Time) The Charlotte City Council discussed the Charlotte Moves transportation plan, ruling out a 2024 vote on a transit tax increase, which could potentially send the plan back to the drawing board. City staff emphasized a more “roads-first” approach, but critics argue it may conflict with major rail projects.
Local News
Aldersgate CEO ousted: (Ledger 🔒) Suzanne Pugh, CEO of the Aldersgate retirement community in Charlotte, has been dismissed following years of operating losses and scrutiny by state regulators and residents, with the community's boards deciding to go in a different direction. The Ledger first reported the news of Aldersgate’s financial troubles in August and reported last week that regulators extended supervision of the organization’s finances for another 150 days.
Frontier adds 7 nonstop flights from CLT: (Ledger) Frontier Airlines announced seven new flights from Charlotte, including New York LaGuardia, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Buffalo and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Frontier CEO Barry Biffle revealed that the addition of nonstop destinations is part of a growth strategy focused on “overpriced markets.”
Business
BofA to enforce back-to-work policies: (The Guardian) Bank of America has sent “letters of education” that warn employees of disciplinary action if they’re not complying with the bank’s return-to-office policies.
Job cuts at Duke Energy: (Business North Carolina) Duke Energy said it is making an unspecified number of job cuts as part of its “next phase of its clean energy transition.”
2023 Mecklenburg home sales: (Ledger) Home sales in Mecklenburg County dropped by 20% in 2023 for the second consecutive year, influenced by higher mortgage rates and a shortage of available properties. Local agents hope for a reversal with lower mortgage rates in 2024.
Sports
New Panthers head coach: (ESPN) The Carolina Panthers are hiring Dave Canales, the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the team’s new head coach.
New Panthers GM: (Carolina Panthers) Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan was named the team’s general manager on Monday. He’ll be in charge of personnel decisions.
Hornets trade Terry Rozier: (ESPN) The Charlotte Hornets traded guard Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a future first-round draft pick.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
‘Craft Across Continents’ will get you thinking — and smiling: In the latest installment of the “Larry at Large” column, Ledger arts critic Lawrence Toppman looks into the "Craft Across Continents" exhibit at the Mint Museum Uptown that showcases a diverse collection of whimsical art, including pieces with visual and verbal puns, tricking the eye and leaving viewers smiling.
Building permits issued for Publix near the Arboretum: The long-awaited Publix near the Arboretum in south Charlotte is progressing as building permits were issued last month for the new store at 7933 Providence Road.
Queen City Podcast Network launches new daily podcast: Check out CLT1st, a new daily podcast by the Queen City Podcast Network, offering brief and fast-paced episodes focusing on Charlotte news, events and tips, with each episode lasting 8 minutes or less and drawing information from locally owned news sources.
Wednesday (🔒)
How to find a job in Charlotte: Check out The Ledger’s two guides, "How to find a finance job in Charlotte" and "How to find a tech job in Charlotte,” which offer practical and tailored advice for job seekers in the Charlotte area.
‘Destination District’ ready for takeoff: Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials are looking to partner with developers to transform 90 acres near the airport's entrance on Wilkinson Boulevard into a "Destination District" that could feature nine food and beverage spots, including a brewery, two hotels, medical offices and logistics buildings.
🎧 New podcast episode: In the latest episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Tonya Jameson of Leading on Opportunity discusses her time as a reporter with The Charlotte Observer, working on political campaigns and her perspective on Charlotte’s future, especially in improving economic mobility.
Friday (🔒)
🎥 Flyover Friday: Charlotte's Lower South End, or “LoSo,” has undergone a decade-long transformation into a vibrant destination, with The Station at LoSo adding new residential, commercial and retail spaces to the mix. The Ledger and The 5 and 2 Project teamed up with developer Beacon Partners in a recent “Flyover Friday” video to check out the neighborhood.
Price tag for Carolina Panthers’ stadium renovations: Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham revealed that discussions about renovating the Carolina Panthers' Bank of America Stadium have centered on a substantial amount of tax money. In a talk last week, Graham acknowledged the figure may “shock the conscience” but emphasized the benefits the stadium brings to the local economy.
Violent crime stats differ from public perception: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings addressed community perceptions of rising crime, highlighting a decrease in violent crime but acknowledging increased property crime, especially involving juveniles.
Feds oppose Novant hospital purchases: The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit to prevent Novant Health's $320M acquisition of two Lake Norman hospitals from Community Health Systems, citing concerns about potential price increases and adverse effects on patient outcomes.
Lucinda Crenshaw Blackmon, co-founder of Charlotte's Original Chicken & Ribs restaurant, has passed away at the age of 102. The restaurant remains a local staple known for its chicken, ribs and more, with Lucinda's legacy living on through the family business.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative