Existing comment:
American Revolution:
Liberty and justice for all! The American Revolution (1775-1783) ended two centuries of British rule, creating the United States of America.
North Carolinians were among the first Americans to defy British policies, including fifty-one women who promised not to drink any more English tea at the "Edenton Tea Party" in 1774. And by signing the Halifax Resolves in April 1776, North Carolina was the first colony to urge others to declare independence from England.
Not all North Carolinians wanted independence in 1775, before the Revolution began. Of the estimated 170,000 state residents (not including the 80,000 enslaved people), half were Loyalists who supported England, and half were Patriots willing to take up arms for independence.
The British plans to subdue the South with the Loyalists' help and move to conquer the North were thwarted at the Battle of Moores Creeks in 1776. This battle left North Carolina free from invasion until 1780. Other battles played out in North Carolina -- Kings Mountain (1780) and Guilford Courthouse (1781) -- helping turn the war in favor of the Americans.
The Revolutionary War era was a time of progress for some, and dislocation for others. After the Revolution came statehood and a chance to build new bonds between a state deeply divided. |