North Carolina in the Revolution

Tryon Palace

Tryon Palace• William Tryon• Josiah Martin• Regulators

War of the Regulation• 1765 to 1771 (Pre-Revolutionary)• Population boom in Carolinas• Debt & Taxes• Goal: form an honest government and reduce taxation• Regulators against Tryon Palace:• "We are determined not to pay the Tax for the next three years, for the

Edifice or Governor's House, nor will we pay for it.“ – William Butler (Regulator)

War of the Regulation• One true battle• Battle of Alamance

• Final Battle of War

• Governor William Tryon left New Bern to address rebellion – 1,000 troops• Tryon offers truce, Regulators do not accept• Regulators lack leadership, organization, & ammo• Decisive victory for government

Tryon Palace during Revolution• Abandoned by Loyalists, taken by Patriots• Patriots flee in 1780 with threat of Cornwallis• Post-Revolution Capital of NC

NC During the Revolution• Moores Creek Bridge Campaign — 1776• British Southern Campaign (Cornwallis-Greene) — 1780-1781

Battles• Moores Creek Bridge February 27, 1776• Near Wilmington• Patriot Victory• Keeps Tories from taking NC

Battles• Battle of Ramsour’s Mill - June 20, 1780• No actual armies involved• Fought between neighbors• 400 American militia v. 1,300 Loyalists• Loyalists defeated – lowers morale

Battles• Battle of Charlotte — September 26, 1780 • American victory, but strategic withdrawal• Cornwallis takes Charlotte• Position of British never fully secure

• Eventual withdrawal due to persistent Patriot forces

Battles• Kings Mountain— October 7, 1780• English goal: recruit loyalist militia to protect Cornwallis• Battle takes place between NC & SC• Unexpected Patriot win causes Cornwallis to retreat to SC

Battles• Guilford Courthouse— March 15,

1781 • Small battle, but pivotal to US

Revolution• Occurred because Cornwallis

pursues Nathaniel Greene’s patriot troops• British Pyrrhic Victory• British retreat to Wilmington –

then to Yorktown, VA