This Day In Founding Fathers History – 15 March

This Day In Founding Fathers History – 15 March 2013

On this day in 1820, Maine joined the union as the 23^rd state, part of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The population of Maine at that time was nearly 300,000 and the territory consisted of nine counties and 236 towns. It took delegates three weeks in October of 1819 to finalize a state constitution, with the convention presided over by William King who went on to become Maine’s first governor. Portland was chosen as the state capital but in 1832 the capital was moved to Augusta due to its more central location.₁

In 1788 on this day, Federalist No. 70, “The Executive Department Further Considered,” authored by Alexander Hamilton, was published in the Independent Journal. ₂

One notable birthday on this day in 1767, that of Andrew Jackson. Jackson was born in South Carolina and later lived in Tennessee, served in the state and federal legislatures, and of course served as the 7^th President of the United States. ₃

In 1781 on this day, the Battle of Guilford Court House was fought in North Carolina, with the British suffering heavy losses but not a defeat. Lt. General Cornwallis said of the battle,” I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons.” Major General Nathanael Greene led American militia and Continentals numbering nearly 4,500 against General Cornwallis’s 1,900 regulars and German allies. Although Greene and his troops retreated, nearly one-quarter of Cornwallis’s men were killed or wounded. ₄

1 “The Pine Tree State,” Library of Congress American Memory, memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar15/html; www.state.me.us/legis/general/history/hstry5.htm

_{2 “The Federalist No. 70,” constitution.org/fed/federa70.htm
3 “Jackson, Andrew,” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=j000005
4 “The Battle of Guildford Courthouse,” Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, National Park Service, nps.gov/guco/index.htm}

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