Talk:List of governors of North Carolina

Political parties in NC during the Civil War
When North Carolina seceded from the Union, the political situation was entirely re-drawn. The two old parties had been the Democratic Party and the Whig Party, although the latter party had used different names in the late 1850s and returned to the name of Whig Party for the 1860 state elections.

After secession, however, the two old parties dissolved and two new parties emerged. These parties, the Conservative and the Confederate Parties, were originally associated with political leaders and had little policy disagreements. Supporters of Gov. Ellis (who died in 1861) formed the Conservative Party. The more moderate politicians formed the Confederate Party. Leaders of the latter party included John Pool, the 1860 Whig nominee for Governor, David S. Reid, a former Democratic Governor, and William W. Holden, the editor of the Raleigh Standard. In the elections of 1861, the Confederate Party defeated the Conservative Party, electing Presidential Electors and seats in the C.S. House of Representatives. However, the Conservative Party, which was only a lukewarm supporter of the national (Davis) government, won all statewide elections beginning with Vance's victory in the 1862 state election and continuing through the last election under the CSA government (1864). Chronicler3 00:31, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

re: Political parties in NC during the Civil War
Very interesting, Chronicler3. I knew a little bit about this but you have certainly added to my understanding. I think you would agree that, given this confusion, it is reasonable to only call Vance and Worth governors representing "the Conservative party," since Ellis and Henry Clark (as a state senator) had been elected as Democrats before the war began and the new parties formed. And with the war's end, the Conservative party came to encompass a collection of those who had been Whigs, such as Jonathan Worth, with many former Democrats, as the Confederate party ceased to be. So much so, that the Conservative party essentially was the same thing as the Democratic party during the period circa 1865-1876. Thereafter, as I understand it, the Conservative party officially decided to change its name (back) to the Democratic party. See http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=117334 for the 1876 race, in which Vance for the first time was officially a Democrat.

It is also worth mentioning that many people thought of Vance as a Whig throughout the Civil War, though he had not been a Whig for many years. Holden, meanwhile, was a longtime Democrat who had once been very influential within the party. Then, he became the great enemy of the Democrats and one of the founders of the state Republican Party.

Another note: I have heard the Whigs in the 1860 state election as being called the "Opposition party" rather than the Whig party. Awbeal 13:46, 22 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Non-Democratic candidates did use the name of "Opposition" in the 1859 state and congressional election. I have not seen John Pool listed as an Opposition Party nominee in 1860, but it would not be unlikely. It is surprising that he did so well, since the Whig Party had been in disarray in NC since Winfield Scott's loss in 1852. Chronicler3 16:12, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

James Iredell Jr.
James Iredell Jr. was a Federalist. At the time he was elected Governor, he was a supporter of Andrew Jackson but still considered himself to be a Federalist. He was elected with the support of Jacksonians in the legislature, just as John Stanly was elected Speaker of the House for the same reason. Neither Iredell nor Stanly were affiliated with the DRP. Maybe the term "Jacksonian Federalist?Chronicler3 02:22, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:List of Governors of New York which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 14:31, 11 April 2019 (UTC)

Vandalism
It looks like there is some intentional or unintentional vandalism in the first paragraph of this article. I am not quite sure how to revert it back. 03:12, 20 August 2019 (UTC) User:G._Moore Talk

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 * Gov. Roy Cooper.jpg

Same Picture for two different Governors two different time periods
23rd and 31st NC governor pictures are of the same man but with different names Gov. Manly and Gov. Iredell. Just saying so it could be corrected. love Wikipedia found picture of Stallion my Dad helped train called "raffles" what a story. 2605:A601:9074:3F00:B40B:32B7:F19E:6910 (talk) 01:39, 19 February 2024 (UTC)


 * You're absolutely right, I adjusted one and laid it over the other and it's a match. These are however the pictures supplied by the state; I'll let them know their upload is wrong. --Golbez (talk) 03:14, 19 February 2024 (UTC)