A visionary for progress in North Carolina

 Murphey wanted to reform North Carolina in 3 main areas… 1. Internal Improvements 2. Public Education 3.Government (Constitutional Reform)

 Improve harbors- make them deeper and safer to sail in and out of  clearing rivers to make them more navigable.

 Constructing canals to transport goods between rivers and harbors.

 Building Roads called turnpikes (Toll Roads). Some were “Corduroy Roads,” built by lying logs across the ground.

 Draining swamps to provide farmers more fertile land.

 Public Education for all white children.  Each county would have at least 2 Primary schools  10 regional High Schools would be created across the state

 Reform the state constitution so that the Western counties of the state were fairly represented, making the state more democratic. Eastern North Carolina - more counties – less people Western North Carolina - less counties - more people Why was the East more powerful? Representation was based on the county, not the population

Murphy died in 1832, his vision of a reformed North Carolina was never realized during his life. Shortly after his death, however, the Whig Party was formed and adopted many of his ideas. In 1835, the North Carolina Constitution of 1835 was ratified which gave Western North Carolina more voice in the state government. Public Education and internal improvements began to happen too.

 The “Whig” party was a political party formed in 1834 that wanted to make reforms in North Carolina.

 As of the 1830 census, the western side of the state had a larger population than the eastern side, yet the east still had more counties, and therefore, more representation in the state legislature than the west.

 The new constitution gave the West (Piedmont and Mountains) more representation in the N.C. Assembly because representation would be based on population (not county).

 Took away the right to vote from Free Blacks and “Accultured” Indians.  Allowed all white men to vote for…  Governor  N.C. Assembly  but still had to own land to vote for the State Senate.

 a public school law was passed in 1839.

 Some Plank roads and Corduroy roads were built but the invention of railroads in the early 19 th century had the biggest affect.  Railroads began to be made in North Carolina in the 1840’s.