The American Revolutionary War
April 17th, 1775
• Surrounded by the Americans in Boston, the British force
there under General William Howe decided to break the
siege and attack the Americans on the heights above them.
• After a terrific barrage by British artillery and warships,
over 2,000 highly-trained regulars marched up the slopes of
Bunker and Breed’s Hill, straight at the waiting militiamen.
• British losses were terrible. Only when the Americans ran
out of ammunition did the British drive them from the field.
One-half or over 1,000 British soldiers were killed or
wounded in the battle.
• The Americans had proven that with proper leadership and
motivation, they could stand up to the most powerful army
in the world.
The War in North Carolina
Moore’s Creek Bridge, February 27th, 1776
The first battle of the Revolution in
North Carolina.
NC Loyalists were trying to join up
with regular British soldiers.
The Patriots hid alongside of
Moore’s Creek and ambushed the
Loyalists when they marched across
the bridge.
In the three-minute battle, over 50
Loyalists were killed and nearly
their entire force was captured by
the Americans.
This battle helped ensure that the
British would not gain complete
control over the Southern colonies.
The Halifax Resolves
• Adopted on April 12th, 1776.
• A group of North Carolina Patriots adopted the
Halifax Resolves, which advocated for the very first call
for independence from Great Britain.
• “To concur with the delegates of other Colonies in
declaring Independency, and forming foreign alliances,
reserving to this colony the sole and exclusive fight to
forming a Constitution and laws for the Colony.”
• Not only did the resolves call for NC to do so, but it also
asked that all the 13 colonies do so as well.
• Not long after this, the Declaration of Independence
was drafted.
• North Carolina also appointed its first governor at this
time. The man was Richard Caswell and he had been
an important Patriot leader at the Battle of Moore’s
Creek Bridge.
The Declaration of Independence
-A Time of Decision• On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted
and ratified by the Congress.
• The basic principle of the document was that people across the
world have certain, unalienable rights that a government cannot
take away.
• These rights are, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
• The Congress reasoned that if a government disregards these
rights, then it loses its rights to govern. The people then have the
right to abolish that government by force, if necessary.
• The Declaration also specifically outlined the reasons why the
colonies were breaking away from England and what King George
III had done to them. There were 27 grievances listed in all
against King George and Great Britain.
• Now, the only thing that the colonies had to do was win the war.
Men From North Carolina That Signed the
Declaration of Independence
• Joseph Hewes - Born into a Quaker family with strong religious
convictions. Becoming a well-known merchant in Edenton, Hewes
was elected into the NC Colonial Assembly in 1766.
• John Penn – After practicing law in Virginia for 12 years, Penn
moved to Granville County, NC in 1775 when he was chosen to
become a delegate at the Continental Congress.
• William Hooper – Moving to NC from Massachusetts in 1764,
Hooper was a well-known lawyer that also served as a delegate at
the Continental Congress.
The Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Besides Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, there were 54 other signers of
this document. Out of these 56, 29 of the men held Seminary degrees!
Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman, one of the 56 signers, was
the only American to sign all four of the
great state papers that created the United
States: the Continental Association, the
Declaration of Independence, the Articles
of Confederation, and the Constitution of
the United States.
Thomas Jefferson once said of Sherman,
“That is, Mr. Sherman, of Connecticut, is
a man that never said a foolish thing in his
entire life.” Sherman was also one of the
five who drafted the Declaration.
Benjamin Rush
Rush, another signer of the Declaration,
was a physician, writer, educator,
humanitarian, and a devout Christian.
He was also an early opponent of the
institution of slavery and capital
punishment.
In addition to being an active member
of the Sons of Liberty, Rush also
assisted Thomas Paine in writing his
famous work, “Common Sense.”
The Declaration being read aloud to the Continental Army.
The North Carolina Constitution of 1776
Once the Declaration of Independence was
adopted, British laws and royal governors
were no longer recognized within the
colonies.
In North Carolina, a committee appointed
by the newly-created provincial congress
wrote the state’s first constitution.
This new constitution drew upon the
English Bill of Rights and upon the
constitutions of several other states.
Unlike the old, royal government, the
majority of the powers were given to the
men of the assembly and not the royal
governor.
It also required that all persons running
for office be of the Protestant faith.
North Carolina’s First Independent Governor
When the Patriot leaders in North Carolina, along
with the other 12 colonies, declared independence
from Great Britain, they immediately began
organizing a new state government, free from
British rule and influence.
In 1777, Richard Caswell, a well-known soldier
and American statesman, became the first
governor of the state of North Carolina.
He would then guide the state throughout the
trying years of the Revolutionary War.