1783 North Carolina gubernatorial election

none January 2025 December 2025 ly 1783 North Carolina gubernatorial election North Carolina File:Flag of the United States (1777–1795).svg Presidential no no 1782 North Carolina gubernatorial election 1782 1784 North Carolina gubernatorial election 1784 April 25, 1783 Members of the General Assembly Majority of 150x150px 1st ballot File:NCG-AlexanderMartin.jpg Alexander Martin Radical 66 File:Richard Caswell (governor).jpg Richard Caswell Moderate 49 Governor Alexander Martin Radical Alexander Martin Radical A gubernatorial election was held in North Carolina on April 25, 1783.Clark 1901 269 The incumbent governor of North Carolina Alexander Martin defeated the speaker of the North Carolina Senate and former governor Richard Caswell.Smith 1980 485 Martin was elected in 1782 as a member of the radical–moderate coalition that had dominated North Carolina politics since independence. His term witnessed rising political factionalism among Whigs following the end of the American War of Independence and the political and economic uncertainty of the Confederation period. Radical, moderate, and conservative Whig factions mirrored the geographic division of the state into Western, Central, and Eastern sections. As a moderate member of the Western radical faction, Martin was poised to benefit from the breakdown of the radical–moderate coalition as the 1783 election approached.Smith 1980 474–76, 480–81, 12–13, 485 Early speculation focused on former governors Caswell, Abner Nash, and Thomas Burke, and judges of the North Carolina Superior Court Samuel Ashe and John Williams as potential challengers. Some leading conservatives hoped to support the former member of the North Carolina Senate Samuel Johnston, but Johnston effectively removed himself from consideration when he declined to seek re-election to the legislature.Smith 1980 484–85 Martin, Caswell, Johnston, and Griffith Rutherford were nominated when the legislature met in April.Clark 1901 244 Martin courted votes in Central North Carolina when he backed an effort to relocate the capital to Fayetteville, previously a region supportive of Caswell.Smith 1980 485 The election was conducted by the North Carolina General Assembly in joint session. Martin was elected with a majority on the first ballot.Clark 1901 269 Caswell blamed his defeat on Eastern conservative members of the legislature who supported Martin, in revenge for Caswell's decisive endorsement of Martin over Johnston in the last election. However, Penelope Smith argues that Martin's was more likely attributable to the collapse of the radical–moderate coalition, Martin's strong reelection campaign, and his enduring popularity with Westerners.Smith 1980 485 General election + 1783 North Carolina gubernatorial electionSmith 1980 485 Party Candidate First ballot Count Percent Radical Alexander Martin 66 57.39 Moderate Richard Caswell 49 42.61 Total 115 100.00 Bibliography Clark Walter The State Records of North Carolina 19, 1782–84 1901 Nash Brothers Winston, NC https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Colonial_Records_of_North_Carolina/CsIRAQAAMAAJ Smith Penelope Sue 1980 Creation of an American State: Politics in North Carolina, 1765–1789 https://repository.rice.edu/items/13e77b1a-9594-417e-8419-d24611c268a9 PhD Houston Rice University References Category:North Carolina gubernatorial elections Category:1783 in North Carolina Category:1780s North Carolina elections Category:1783 elections in the United States NC Gov 1783 Category:Single-candidate gubernatorial elections in North Carolina Category:Indirect gubernatorial elections in the United States Category:United States gubernatorial elections in the 1780s