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North Carolina's Governors
Gabriel Holmes (1769-1829) adopted a Jeffersonian view of the importance of the agrarian life. He was the father of Theophilus H. Holmes, a Confederate general. The elder Holmes received his preparatory education at Zion Parnassus Academy and later attended Harvard College. Returning to North Carolina, he studied law under future chief justice John Louis Taylor practiced in Sampson County. Holmes represented Sampson County in the both houses of the General Assembly and served as a trustee of the University of North Carolina. He was defeated for the governorship by Jesse Franklin in 1820, but emerged victorious the following year in a sharply contested election requiring numerous ballots. In his initial address as governor, Holmes emphasized themes which would come to characterize his years in office. Chief among these were the allocation of limited public monies for education, improved transportation by land and water, and the encouragement of agriculture. Much like President Thomas Jefferson, he vigorously promoted the interests of the common man and the agrarian way of life. Holmes pressed for the introduction of agricultural courses and the establishment of a model farm to demonstrate more progressive farming methods. In accord with the Jeffersonian view, he stressed the practical uses of higher education. In 1822, at his urging, the General Assembly provided for the distribution of funds to counties throughout the state to promote the work of local agricultural societies. In 1825, following his third term, Holmes was elected to the U.S. House, where he served until his death. His committee work involved, among other things, militia affairs and the postal system. Holmes was closely associated in Washington with the interests and policies of Vice-President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. Holmes died at his home near Clinton in 1829 and was interred on the grounds.
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