Ask SAM: Is NC First in Freedom? Flight? Anything else? – Winston-Salem Journal

Q: Many years ago, there was a controversy over whether North Carolina could be called First in Freedom on license tags. The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles also issued auto license plates with First in Flight which were challenged by Ohio. After all these years of that, I now see that new license plates are back to First in Freedom. What other firsts can North Carolina claim?

Answer: According to the state Department of Transportation, the First in Freedom plate recognizes two events: The signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775, and the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776.

These two events are also commemorated on the North Carolina state flag, according to the DOT, and are regarded as the first steps toward independence from Great Britain during the early stages of the American Revolution.

You can read more about the Mecklenburg Declaration at the Mecklenburg Historical Associations website, http://www.meckdec.org/declaration. Bear in mind that some historians dispute the authenticity of that declaration. Also, there has been some controversy about how appropriate the slogan First in Freedom is for a state that allowed slavery for so long.

First in Freedom plates were reinstated as an option in 2015. At the time, Gov. Pat McCrory said North Carolina is a state of firsts and we continue to be a leader in innovation. What a great way to celebrate North Carolinas rich history and the birth of our nation by offering drivers a chance to proudly display a plate that honors our contribution to freedom, here in one of the most military friendly states.

As to First in Flight, the dispute there is over which state should get credit for the flight of Wilbur and Orville Wright, who were from Ohio but made their historic flight in North Carolina. According to NCPedia.org, Wilbur was gathering information about flight and wrote to the United States Weather Bureau to learn about wind speeds in different places around the country to find the most favorable conditions.

The Weather Bureau told Wilbur about Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Wilbur then wrote the Kitty Hawk weather station to ask about the area. He received a warm reply from the local postmaster, Bill Tate. Kitty Hawk had more to offer than just strong winds, Tate told Wilbur. It also had soft sand for landing a glider and friendly people who would be willing to help. And it was an isolated place where Wilbur could get the privacy he wanted.

The brothers traveled back and forth between their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, and Kitty Hawk while working on the project.

Connecticut also claims to be first in flight, citing a powered flight by Gustave Whitehead there in 1901, two years before the Wright Brothers flight in 1903.

As to other firsts, according to the Secretary of States office, we can claim the first public university in the United States (UNC Chapel Hill), the first English child born in America (Virginia Dare), the first state art museum, the first outdoor drama in America (The Lost Colony), Americas first gold rush, and the first known miniature golf course, which is neat but probably not good fodder for a license plate slogan.

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Ask SAM: Is NC First in Freedom? Flight? Anything else? - Winston-Salem Journal