donbosco
Honored Member
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In the election of 1856 the newly formed Republican Party offered up the Georgian, Colonel John C. Fremont for President. Despite his southern origin, Fremont was an anti-slavery man. In fact, by that time he was more associated with California than any other part of the country. Having been entangled in the War with Mexico and The Bear Flag Revolt he had already seen some degree of tumult. He was, in fact, quite famous as ‘The Pathfinder’ for his partnership with Kit Carson in the mapping of the western reaches of the continent, an endeavor in which both men had been key actors in multiple massacres of Indian Peoples. So Fremont, despite his anti-slavery stand also had a distinctly, and politically acceptable for the era, imperialist and genocidal side.
In 1856 UNC was a 67 year old institution (founded 1789), and Chapel Hill a village where the state’s elite young men learned the tricks of how to perpetuate the status into which they had been born. Among that ruling class slavery was not to be questioned - certainly not aloud at any rate. Yet one dared to do so. Benjamin Hedrick was an instructor of Chemistry, and an 1852 graduate of Carolina who had subsequently taken classes at Harvard and continued his education working at the Office of The Nautical Almanac in Cambridge. From Davidson County, Hedrick returned to his Alma Mater in 1854 to teach “analytical and agricultural” chemistry.
In August of 1856, after casting a vote in the state primaries, some students asked Hedrick “…if there were a Fremont ticket…would [he] support it." The young Chemistry Professor answered that he would. The ‘North Carolina Standard’ newspaper in Raleigh eventually heard, and without naming names, called for any teachers in the state’s schools holding such views to be ousted. An anonymous Alumnus then wrote to the Opinion Section in support of such a purge. Again no names were mentioned. That was enough for Hedrick however, and he penned a response, which he titled, “Professor Hedrick’s Defence,” which was printed #OnThisDay (Oct. 4) in 1856. You can read the text here: "Professor Hedrick's Defence" · Slavery and the Making of the University · UNC Libraries
Hedrick explained his position very eloquently in his letter. The only thing truly radical about it was that he was not toeing the unified slaveowner line. He even evoked southern Founders in the defense of his opposition to the westward extension of slavery (the most pertinent issue being debated at that time) into the new territories recently taken in war from Mexico. Hedrick also suggested that if his further employment should be questioned because of his belief then he felt sure that the Board of Trustees, “men of integrity and influence, [who] have at heart the best interests of the university…” would find in favor of free speech.
He was wrong on that final assertion.
#OTD in 1856 UNC Chemistry Professor Benjamin Hedrick published ‘Defence’ in Raleigh’s ‘North Carolina Standard.’ When asked by students about the upcoming elections he answered that he backed Fremont (R) for President because he opposed the expansion westward of slavery. The Press attacked him, students burned an effigy, & the Board of Trustees fired him. Benjamin Hedrick, Chapel Hill Heretic
For a recent essay on Hedrick framed in the context of the UNC Board of Governors sad and embarrassing ‘handling’ of the mis-hiring of Nikole Hannah-Jones see this link: Nikole Hannah-Jones & Benjamin Hedrick
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