Barton Welcomes Dr. Troy Kickler for Constitution Day on Sept. 17

WILSON, N.C. – As part of annual Constitution Day celebrations at Barton, the College will host a talk by Dr. Troy Kickler, author of “The King’s Trouble Makers: Edenton’s Role in Creating a Nation and State.” The program and reception will be held in the Willis N. Hackney Library on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. This event, sponsored by Hackney Library, is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

Titled “The King’s Trouble Makers,” Kickler’s presentation will address North Carolina’s role in the Founding Era, including the development of the United States Constitution.

Kickler holds a Master of Science degree in Social Studies Education from North Carolina A&T State University, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Tennessee. He has taught at Barton College, at the University of Tennessee, and at North Carolina State University, and he serves on the Scholarly Advisory Board of the Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection (a collaborative project of Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University).

In his book, “The King’s Trouble Makers: Edenton’s Role in Creating a Nation and State,” Kickler explores an often overlooked history of northeastern North Carolina and the founding of America, including, among other things, that many passages of the U.S. Constitution originated from townsmen of Edenton, N.C.

He has also published numerous introductions and forwards to scholarly works, written articles and reviews for a variety of scholarly historical journals and publications, edited or co-edited anthologies, and more. Other recent publications include “Why the Constitution is Essential for Liberty” as part of the State Policy Network’s “We the People” series, and “Caught in the Crossfire: African American Children and the Ideological Battle for Education in Reconstruction Tennessee,” which is featured in the historical anthology, “Children and Youth During the Civil War Era.”

In addition to being a frequently published author, Kickler is also founding director of the North Carolina History Project and editor of its web site, NorthCarolinahistory.org. A special project of the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation, the North Carolina History Project aims not only to encourage a wide variety of historical questions and provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but also to emphasize overlooked or forgotten historical themes. Such themes include entrepreneurship, private sector problem solving, the importance of individuals and ideas, and the positive role of free markets. The Project’s site is a free online encyclopedia of North Carolina and also includes commentaries, lesson plans, and a community calendar.

Constitution Day is held each September 17 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on that date in 1787.

For additional information about this event, please contact George Loveland, director of Hackney Library, at (252) 399-6501 or gwloveland@barton.edu.

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