Archibald Murphey facts for kids
Archibald DeBow Murphey (born around 1777, died 1832) was an important lawyer, judge, and politician from North Carolina. He is often called the "Father of Education" in his state. While he was a state senator, he suggested creating a program to pay for public schools for younger students. He also wanted to build public projects, like roads, to help North Carolina's economy grow.
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Who Was Archibald Murphey?
Early Life and Education
Archibald Murphey was born near the Red House Presbyterian Church in Orange County, North Carolina. This area later became part of Caswell County, North Carolina. His father, Archibald Murphey, fought in the Revolutionary War for North Carolina. His mother, Jane DeBow, was from New Jersey. Archibald was one of seven children in his family.
He first went to school at Dr. Caldwell's Academy, a local school. In 1796, he started attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated with high honors in 1799.
A Vision for North Carolina
After college, Murphey taught at the university for a few years. In 1801, he moved to Hillsborough, North Carolina, to study law with a well-known lawyer named William Duffy. He passed his law exams and became a lawyer.
Murphey married Jane Armistead Scott. He then bought a large farm called Hermitage from her father. Archibald Murphey became very involved in business and politics.
He was chosen to represent Orange County, North Carolina in the North Carolina State Senate. He served there from 1812 to 1818. Murphey was famous for his ideas about:
- Internal improvements: Building things like roads and canals.
- Public schools: Creating schools paid for by the government.
- Constitutional reform: Changing the state's main rules or constitution.
In 1817, Murphey wrote a report for the government. He suggested that North Carolina should create a public education system paid for by the state. He believed this was very important for the state's future. At that time, only private schools existed. Only families who could afford it could send their children to academies or hire tutors.
After his time as a senator, Murphey kept working on ideas for North Carolina. In 1819, he planned a program to build roads and canals across the state. He thought this would help the economy grow. However, other lawmakers did not agree with his plan, and it was not put into action.
Later Years and Challenges
In 1818, the state government chose Murphey to be a superior court judge. He worked as a judge for two years. Then, he left the job to try and improve his personal finances. He also started to research and write a history of North Carolina. He collected many old papers and historical documents for this project.
Murphey did not become a judge on the North Carolina Supreme Court. However, in the court's early years, he was sometimes asked to fill in. This happened when one of the three main judges could not hear a case.
Archibald Murphey did not achieve all of his biggest goals. He never finished his history of North Carolina. But his research papers are now kept at Harvard University and the University of Virginia. Later historians have used these papers a lot. Murphey's money problems got worse. In 1829, he was even put in jail for 20 days in Greensboro, North Carolina, because of his debts.
Archibald Murphey died at Twin Chimneys in Hillsborough, North Carolina, on February 1, 1832. He is buried at the Presbyterian Church there.
Remembering Archibald Murphey
Many places and buildings are named after Archibald Murphey to honor his work:
- The town of Murphy, North Carolina is named after him.
- Murphey Hall at the University of North Carolina is named for him.
- Murphey Traditional Academy, an elementary school in Greensboro, North Carolina, also has his name.
- Several public schools in Orange and Caswell counties are named after him.
- An historical marker on Churton Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina, tells about his life and shows where his grave is.
