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William Richardson Davie (1756-1820)

 

Initially pursuing a study of law in Salisbury, NC under the tutelage Spruce Macay, Davie put a hold on his education and joined the revolution. Forming a cavalry troop in 1779, Davie was bestowed the rank of lieutenant by then governor, Richard Caswell, and assigned to serve under General Casimir Pulaski. By aiding General Pulaski in establishing bases outside Charleston, Davie was promoted to the rank of major. A few days later, he led the cavalry charge at the Battle of Stono Ferry. Severely wounded during the engagement, Davie returned to Salisbury with the intention of convalescing and passing his examinations to acquire a law license.

 

Instead of practicing law immediately after achieving the license, Davie returned to the military ranks. Narrowly missing the Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), Davie opted to stay back, stock up on supplies, and gather intelligence on the British. Returning to the Continental forces with a healthy cavalry unit after a couple of weeks, Davie was promoted to colonel. On September 26, 1780, Davie led his troops to a victorious skirmish at the Battle of Charlotte, defeating much of Lord Cornwallis’s forces as they attempted to march towards South Carolina. Despite the rousing success Davie enjoyed in the military and pleas by senior officers to stay in the force, Davie resigned from active duty after the Battle of Charlotte and finally made use of his law license.

 

Facilitating his excellent education, Davie became a prominent lawyer and orator in North Carolina, and was urged into politics by his fellow residents when the war ended. Elected to the NC House of Commons on multiple instances between 1786-1798 as a member of the Federalist Party, Davie argued to slightly augment the states’ budget in hopes of restoring an economy torn by war. To bolster that economy, Davie also believed that citizens should be well educated and that North Carolina should have a flagship institution that represents the state’s intellectual acuity and embraces a liberal arts curriculum. In 1789, Davie’s bill to sponsor the foundation of the University of North Carolina passed, and in 1793, he laid the university’s cornerstone. Today, he is considered the “Father of the University.”

 

Davie also represented North Carolina at the State Ratifying Conventions of 1788 and 1789, in which he pushed for the passage of a federal Constitution that could be applicable in all states. His success as a public servant convinced the North Carolina General Assembly to elect him governor in 1798. Much of Davie’s tenure focused on securing the borders between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. However, being a military man, Davie also increased the state militia’s size and improved their technology.

 

When his term was over, Davie continued to serve the Federalist Party, traveling to France as a peace envoy for President John Adams in 1800. Upon his return to the US, Davie noted the changing political guard: Democratic-Republicans were the new majority and Federalists were nonexistent outside New England. Hoping to rectify the political situation, Davie ran for a congressional seat in 1804, but to no avail. Weary from a long career, Davie retired to his South Carolina plantation, “Tivoli,” and passed away on November 5, 1820.