Salisbury in Rowan County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hinton Rowan Helper
Salisbury History & Art Trail
— Antebellum —
Friendless, penniless, and above, he took his own life, and died at the age of eighty — this man who had shaken the Republic from center to circumference and who at a critical period had held and filled the center of the stage.
—Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky
Hinton Rowan Helper (1829-1909) was the author of The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It. This influential and controversial book about the economics of slavery was reviled in the South but was extremely popular in the North. It was used by the Abolitionists prior to the Civil War to support their cause. Hostile feelings erupted in 1858 when Helper was charged with assaulting Salisbury Congressman Burton Craige in the halls of Congress. A prolific writer, Helper was also appointed consul to Buenos Aires, Argentina, by President Abraham Lincoln and was a leading proponent of the Three Americas Railway. For three years, 1848-1850, helper clerked for merchant Michael Brown whose store was on this site.
Erected 2006 by Salisbury History & Art Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Arts, Letters, Music • Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 35°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Salisbury Rotary Club (within shouting distance of this marker); Boone Trail 1769 (within shouting distance of this marker); William Valentine (within shouting distance of this marker); John Willis Ellis (within shouting distance of this marker); Salisbury Fire Dept. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); J.C. Deagan Tubular Bell Tower Chimes (about 400 feet away); Crossroads: Past Into Present (about 400 feet away); Andrew Jackson (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Salisbury.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 23, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
