On Saturday, September 6th I had the privilege to travel back in time 250 years to one of the pivotal events in North Carolina’s movement towards independence during the American Revolution: The 3rd Provincial Congress. Held in Hillsborough NC from August to September 1775, this Congress featured a now ‘who’s who’ of Hall of Fame North Carolinians from Joel Lane to Samuel Johnston, Richard Caswell, General Francis Nash and his brother Abner Nash…
To commemorate the event, the Orange County Historical Museum and America 250-NC hosted a lively event in Hillsborough. The historic Orange County Courthouse was the centerpiece, with a dramatized reenactment of the provincial congress. Each hour, attendees watched a brief film before reenactors emerged to bring the drama of September-October 1775 to life. The play, while based on historical events, was a dramatization designed to draw viewers into the key topics and motivations at stake.
With 213 original members (give or take), the play highlighted key players like Congressional president Samuel Johnston, future Governor Richard Caswell, and Hillsborough native son William Hooper, who later signed the Declaration of Independence. A personal highlight for me was hearing Joel Lane, a statesman from Wake County who helped establish Raleigh—my hometown—as the capital in 1792. As a child, Joel Lane felt like a family member; my mom served as the Site Administrator for the circa-1769 Joel Lane House, the oldest in Wake County. I spent every Fourth of July in Colonial garb, giving presentations on children’s games and the home’s history.
On the courthouse lawn, attendees could visit with local vendors and learn about the Revolutionary War and early American history from representatives of several important North Carolina sites. These included Hillsborough’s Moorefields and the Hillsborough Preservation Society, as well as regional sites like The Joel Lane House, Alamance Battleground State Historic Site, Moore’s Creek Battleground National Historical Park, and Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.
The event also featured living historians portraying key figures. Guests could meet General Francis Nash, a hero of the American Revolution who died at the Battle of Germantown in 1777, and John Penn, a North Carolina signer of the Declaration of Independence. Other historians shared their knowledge of military life, covering everything from the motivations of both Patriot and Loyalist militia to the daily struggles of the Continental Army and militia in the backcountry of the Carolinas.
A block away at the Orange County Public Library, a variety of historical lectures about the Provincial Congress and North Carolina’s role in the American Revolution took place. I had the pleasure of attending the 2 p.m. lecture given by Professor Emerita of Elon University Carole Troxler. This lecture focused on the Regulator Movement in North Carolina, which came to a head at the Battle of Alamance in 1771, when Regulator militia from the backcountry (anywhere west of the last river that could directly reach the ocean in NC, i.e. west of Fayetteville/Cross Creek) fought militia forces led by Governor Tryon. If you are an Outlander fan you may remember this being dramatized in the series.  *more on Regulators in a bit*
The lecture explained that while the Regulator movement was not directly tied to the American Revolution and had its own unique focus and sentiments, it did play a significant role in why the 3rd Provincial Congress was held in Hillsborough and many of the policies initiated during the Congress and also when North Carolina later adopted its state constitution in 1776. Â
The Orange County History Museum was open all day, inviting guests to delve into Hillsborough and Orange County’s rich history, spanning more than 270 years. While the museum offers a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits, the undeniable highlight of the event was an original 1775 North Carolina Dollar. This remarkable artifact was printed shortly after the 3rd Provincial Congress, a direct result of the body’s decision to create its own currency and establish a treasury system. Â
The Orange County History Museum is located next to the Old Town Cemetery in Hillsborough…
Digging into the History of the Third Provincial Congress in Hillsborough:
Digging into the Past: What Happened at the 3rd Provincial Congress and why was it important?
To understand the origins of the Revolutionary spirit in North Carolina, we must first look to the year 1754. That year was significant for two reasons: surveyor William Churton laid out the plans for Hillsborough, and the French and Indian War began.
This pivotal conflict, also known as the Seven Years’ War in Europe, was a struggle for control of key western North American territory, mostly in the Ohio River Valley. It was fueled by growing tensions between the British and French as they both tried to expand their influence into the frontier regions. The war pitted France and its Native American allies against Great Britain and the Iroquois Confederacy. Before the fighting began, the British controlled the land up to the Appalachian Mountains, while New France—a vast, sparsely settled territory—stretched from Louisiana through the Mississippi Valley to Canada.
Many future Revolutionary War leaders and soldiers on both sides would fight in this conflict. George Washington served in the French and Indian War and the experience no doubt helped train him and others in professional warfare that would help them when they decided to take up arms against their Mother Country and fight for liberty.
- Interested to learn more about The French and Indian War in North Carolina, consider visiting Fort Dobbs State Historic Site near Statesville (about two hours west of Hillsborough)
So what led these faithful colonists who went as far to serve England and fight during the French and Indian War – to suddenly decide to renounce the crown and their fealty to the Mother Country? It truly starts in the aftermath of the French and Indian War.
Britain’s victory in the conflict forced France to cede the majority of its lands in America from Canada and east of the Mississippi to the British, while they were in turn forced to turn over their land in the Louisiana Territory as a form of repayment to their ally Spain. No doubt France remembered this defeat and wasn’t opposed to a little revenge against the British, when we asked them for help in the American Revolution.
While Britain secured a resounding victory, the war had been extremely costly, nearly bankrupting the government. Since British citizens were already among the most heavily taxed in Europe, Parliament decided to look to the American colonies to help pay down the debt. Their reasoning was that the war had primarily been fought to secure new territory for the colonists.
From a modern perspective, this might not sound unreasonable, but the problem wasn’t just the taxes themselves—it was the principle behind them. British citizens had the right to “no taxation with representation,” a right that was denied to the colonists, who had no representative seats in Parliament. They felt they had no say in the legislation that was being drafted.
The colonists also felt that these new laws, which dictated where they could sell and purchase goods, were designed to limit their economic growth. This was a core tenet of mercantilism, a system where colonial empires manipulated markets for the benefit of the home country. If colonial production or trade began to threaten the economic dominance of Great Britain, it was seen as something that needed to be reined in.
The first of these taxes was the Sugar Act of 1764, which was followed by the despised Stamp Act of 1765. We learned about The Stamp Act during a visit to Brunswick Town Historic Site near Wilmington. Brunswick Town as a major trading port and center of commerce demonstrated the first armed protest against the Stamp Act in the Colony in November 1765. Governor Tryon empathized with some of the colonists’ views and even offered to pay the tax out of pocket. However this began the first in a series of events that would lead to the American Revolution.
Prior to the Revolution, North Carolina faced a number of problems related to east vs west mentality. The eastern side of the state had strong political alliances and ties to the Royal Government. The western backcountry, anywhere west of a navigable river to the ocean, felt they were being unjustly treated by tax collectors and public policy. Many of these grievances led to the War of Regulation, which while rooted in some of the same complaints of the patriots, was in fact its own movement. The War of Regulation ended in the Battle of Alamance, just west of Hillsborough in 1771 when Lord Tryon’s militia squashed this rebellion. Several Regulators were hung in downtown Hillsborough. Many of their complaints, which were still major issues, had simply gone unresolved after the Battle of Alamance. Many of the Regulator militia even fled the state, some heading over the mountains into the Watauga Association settlement near Sycamore Shoals and present day Elizabethton TN. Others fled to Virginia. Some stayed and swore loyalty to the crown.
Tryon had been able to appease many of the prominent planter and merchant families of Eastern North Carolina, but when he left for a new role as Governor of New York, his replacement was not as agile at maneuvering the politics and practical government of North Carolina. Governor Josiah Martin did his best to give an olive branch to former regulators, but his policies isolated many in the North Carolina government.
By August 1774, things were so bad between Governor Martin and the colonists that in an act of defiance they hosted the 1st Provincial Congress in the then capital city of New Bern, steps away from the palatial Royal Governor’s residence at Tryon Palace. An interesting fact, the palace was built in part by taxing the people of North Carolina to build the residence which was a point of contention for many regulators.Â
The Second Provincial Congress of North Carolina met in New Bern from April 3 to 7, 1775. A key action of this meeting was approving the Continental Association, a plan for economic boycotts against Great Britain established by the First Continental Congress. This session occurred as the American Revolution was beginning, coinciding with the news of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
In retaliation, Royal Governor Josiah Martin dissolved the Colonial Assembly in April 1775. With Patriot sentiment on the rise, Martin fled New Bern on the night of May 31, abandoning Tryon Palace and seeking refuge at Fort Johnston near present-day Southport.
We learned about this history during a recent visit to Fort Johnston for the 250th anniversary of its burning. On July 19, Patriot leaders, including Cornelius Harnett, burned the fort, forcing Governor Martin to escape to the nearby warship, the HMS Cruizer. For the next eight months, he lived on the ship, operating as a “governor without a colony.” From there, he organized a Loyalist militia under the command of Donald McDonald, but the effort was short-lived. The Loyalists were decisively defeated in February 1776 at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge.
With the colonial government in disarray—the royal governor, Josiah Martin, having fled and the Colonial Assembly dissolved—North Carolina’s Patriot leaders convened a Third Provincial Congress to reorganize the government. This was a defiant act in itself, as it directly challenged the governor’s authority. Yet, at this stage, the colonists were not necessarily seeking independence. They were primarily focused on reclaiming their rights as Englishmen, which they believed Martin had unfairly denied them. The goal was still reconciliation with Great Britain, and a formal break would not occur until the Halifax Resolves in April 1776, when North Carolina became the first state to officially declare its independence.
The Third Provincial Congress met in Hillsborough from August 20 to September 10, 1775. The location was strategically chosen to win over residents of the western backcountry, including former Regulators. Despite past conflicts—many militiamen who had fought alongside Governor Tryon against the Regulators still disagreed with their violent protests—Patriot leaders recognized the legitimacy of some of their grievances. This was a crucial step toward creating a unified front.
Key Resolutions and Preparations for War
The Congress’s most significant actions were focused on establishing a temporary government and preparing for armed conflict. It declared itself the province’s provisional government and created the Provincial Council to oversee affairs when the Congress was not in session, as well as to supervise the Committee of Safety. Patriot leader Cornelius Hartnett was named to the role of Provincial Leader when Congress was not in session.
To organize a militia, the Congress designated the six existing judicial districts as military districts: Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, Wilmington, and Salisbury. Later, a seventh district, Morgan, was added. Each district was authorized to form a regiment of minutemen to serve within North Carolina’s borders, and each of the 35 counties was directed to raise its own militia. The Congress also ordered the enlistment of the first two units of Provincial Troops, which would later join the Continental Army.
The Creation of North Carolina’s Currency
Perhaps the most defiant act of the Congress was its decision to create its own currency and treasury. The British Parliament had strictly forbidden colonies from issuing paper money. This act of defiance was also born of necessity; the colonies needed a way to fund their war efforts. The Congress authorized the issuance of £125,000 in bills of credit (paper money) to pay for raising and training troops. These bills, printed in denominations ranging from $1/4 to $10, were intended to be payable in Spanish milled dollars. This move demonstrated that North Carolina’s provisional government was operating independently and had the authority to manage its own finances, a clear and decisive step toward independence. Per your research, James Davis of New Bern was the printer of much of this currency.
Get to Know the Key Players:
As I mentioned earlier, the Third Provincial Congress was a who’s who of North Carolina Hall of Famers (check out the entire delegation list here). The dramatized version focused on living interpretations of twelve key delegates, many who had ties to the Piedmont area of North Carolina. In addition to those featured in the dramatization, Native son of Hillsborough and Hero of the American Revolution Francis Nash spoke with guests throughout the day, sharing his life story and answering questions about North Carolina’s role in the Revolution. I also got to meet North Carolina Declaration of Independence Signer John Penn.Â
Who needs a mini-series when history is full of drama…each of these delegates has a fascinating story to tell. Even Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander featured a few in her series.
Here are quick bios of the early patriots featured in the play:
Samuel Johnston: A lawyer, planter and statesman from Edenton (Chowan County). He began serving in the House of Burgesses in 1759 until it was dissolved in 1775. He was unanimously elected to preside over the Third Provincial Congress. Johnston had been staunchly opposed to the violence of the Regulator movement and after the September 1770 Hillsborough Riot and to later reports that regulators planned to march on the provincial capital of New Bern, he helped author the Johnston Riot Act. This act, which was meant to dissuade the regulators only emboldened them forcing Royal Governor Tryon to call out the provincial militia, which culminated in the Battle of Alamance in 1771. He was one of the first governors of North Carolina and an ardent patriot. Learn more about his life here.
Joel Lane: ‘Father of Raleigh’Â
Joel Lane was an important North Carolina Patriot, planter, and legislator known as the “Father of Raleigh” for introducing the bill creating the county and selling the land on which the state capital, Raleigh, was built. Lane served in the colonial and revolutionary governments, held local offices, and lived to see his plantation become the site of Raleigh before his death in 1795. His home, located on the corner of Hargett and St. Mary’s Streets in Raleigh is a museum house and the oldest house in Wake County. Read his bio
William Hooper: A North Carolina Patriot and Founding Father
William Hooper, a gifted orator and influential lawyer, was a key figure in North Carolina’s revolutionary history. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he was educated at Harvard College in 1760 and studied law under the renowned James Otis. In 1764, Hooper moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he established a successful law practice.
Though initially a moderate who sought reconciliation with Great Britain, Hooper eventually came to believe that separation was the only path forward for the colonies. His political career took off as he emerged as a vocal opponent of the Stamp Act and a fierce advocate for colonial rights. When Royal Governor Josiah Martin dissolved the colonial assembly, Hooper was instrumental in organizing the Provincial Congresses that took its place. He was elected as one of North Carolina’s delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774.
A Fiery Voice for Independence
Hooper’s eloquence was highly regarded by his peers. John Adams, a fellow delegate at the Continental Congress, praised Hooper as one of the finest orators in Congress, placing him in the same league as other “golden speakers” like Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee. Hooper was a vocal proponent of independence, serving on several key committees and actively participating in the debates that led to the Declaration of Independence. His vote for independence, along with that of his fellow delegates, was made possible by the Halifax Resolves, a resolution passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress in April 1776, which made North Carolina the first colony to officially authorize its delegates to vote for independence. Hooper’s signature on the Declaration was a direct result of this historic decision.
Legacy in North Carolina
After signing the Declaration, Hooper’s health began to fail, forcing him to resign from Congress in 1777 and return to North Carolina. He continued to serve in the state legislature and worked to organize the new state government. His support for the Revolution came at a great personal cost; his law practice suffered, and his property was targeted by Loyalists. When the British occupied Wilmington in 1781, Hooper and his family sought refuge in Hillsborough, where he purchased the former home of General Francis Nash, a friend and fellow patriot who had perished in the Battle of Germantown in 1777.
William Hooper died in Hillsborough in 1790. His legacy as a devoted patriot and instrumental figure in the state’s revolutionary history is honored to this day. His remains, once buried in Hillsborough’s Old Burial Ground, were later moved to the Signers Memorial at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.
Joseph Winston: Delegate and Revolutionary War Hero
Born to a prominent family in Virginia he moved to North Carolina in the late 1760s along the Dan River in Surry (now Stokes) County. He was elected as a delegate to the Hillsborough Third Provincial Congress and the Halifax Provincial Congress in April 1776 where he signed the Halifax Resolves, instructing the state’s delegation to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. He served in the militia throughout the Revolution including a regiment of Surry County militia that fought at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge (Feb. 1776) and importantly in the Battle of King’s Mountain (October 7th, 1780) and also at Guilford Courthouse (March 1781). Read his bio here
Richard Caswell: The First Revolutionary War Governor of North Carolina
Born in Maryland in 1729, Richard Caswell moved to New Bern, North Carolina, in 1745 in search of better opportunities and desirable land, eventually settling west in Kinston. His first job was as a surveyor, which sparked a lifelong interest in land speculation and led to a position as a clerk of court in Orange and Johnston counties. He was first elected to the North Carolina House of Burgesses in 1754 and served there until its dissolution in 1775. After becoming a lawyer in 1759, he became more active in state government and the burgeoning revolutionary movement.
Caswell was a leader in all five provincial congresses and a military hero. He commanded the Patriot militia at the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in February 1776, a decisive victory that ended the threat of royal rule in North Carolina until the British returned in 1780. The victory at Moore’s Creek, combined with the Halifax Resolves in April 1776—where North Carolina became the first state to authorize declaring independence—helped build broader support for the Declaration of Independence. North Carolina’s actions demonstrated that the cause was not just a New England issue, but an American one.
As one of North Carolina’s Revolutionary War governors, Caswell worked tirelessly to build a strong militia and supply troops for both state and national efforts. He also dealt with ongoing conflicts between Indians and settlers, sporadic British coastal raids, and Loyalist hostilities across the state.
When his third term as governor ended in April 1780, an exhausted Caswell immediately took on the role of overall commander of the state militia. Just four months later, he and General Horatio Gates suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Camden. Despite this setback, Caswell was elected to the state Senate from Dobbs County, serving for the next four years, two as speaker. He also concurrently served as state comptroller general, responsible for managing public funds.
He later returned to public office serving as Governor of North Carolina from 1784 to 1787. Caswell County is named after him and he is still beloved in the Old North State (NC’s nickname)…Read his bio here
Nathaniel Rochester: Known as the ‘Father of Rochester, New York,’ had his early beginnings in Hillsborough. Born in Virginia in 1752, he and his family moved to Granville County before he relocated to Hillsborough at age 16. There, he worked for local merchants James Monroe (not the future President) and John Hamilton. He eventually became a partner in the business and was active in both local government and the Patriot cause.
In 1775, he was named to the Orange County Committee of Safety, where his duties included promoting the Patriot cause, collecting supplies, and preventing the sale of British goods. He represented Hillsborough at the Third Provincial Congress and was appointed a major in the North Carolina militia. His military career was marked by a notable action: he led a force that captured 500 Loyalists retreating after the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge. He was later promoted to colonel but had to resign his military commission due to illness.
After his military service, Rochester continued to be active in politics and business. He served in the North Carolina General Assembly and as a county clerk. Fleeing the threat of British occupation in 1780, Rochester moved to Maryland. He lived there for 30 years, where he entered a successful mercantile partnership with his former colleague, Thomas Hart. During his time in Maryland, Rochester held several public offices and helped found the Hagerstown Bank. A lifelong land speculator, he is most famously known as the founder of the city of Rochester, New York, which he established in 1817. Read his bio here.
Thomas Hart: The Prominent Citizen and Target of Regulators
Thomas Hart was a prominent figure in colonial North Carolina. Born in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1730, he moved to Orange County in 1755, where he quickly established a profitable gristmill on the Eno River. He later became a partner in a Hillsborough mercantile business with Nathaniel Rochester and James Brown and built a large plantation known as Grayfields.
From 1765 to 1771, Hart served as Sheriff of Orange County, a time that placed him at the center of the Regulator Movement. The Regulators, a group of backcountry farmers, protested a government they felt was corrupt, unrepresentative, and unjust. They accused officials like Hart of levying excessive taxes, charging exorbitant fees, and operating without accountability. As sheriff, Hart was responsible for serving legal warrants to the Regulators, which put him in direct opposition to them and made him a key target of their anger.
The frustrations of the Regulators boiled over into violence, most notably during the 1770 Riot in Hillsborough. Seeking to confront the officials they believed were corrupt, 150 Regulators swarmed the town and assaulted men like Edmund Fanning, a favored official of Governor Tryon, and William Hooper, a future signer of the Declaration of Independence. They also threatened Judge Richard Henderson. This conflict is particularly interesting because many of the former anti-Regulator militiamen, who fought alongside the colonial government against the Regulators, later became Patriots in the American Revolution. Similarly, some former Regulators also joined the Patriot cause, uniting former adversaries against a common enemy.
Beyond his political and local business roles, Hart was involved in the Transylvania Company with his Hillsborough neighbor, Richard Henderson. This land speculation company aimed to establish a fourteenth colony in what is now modern-day Kentucky. The irony of this venture is that James Robertson, who helped found the Watauga Settlement and was part of this land deal, was a former Regulator. This shared business interest highlights how the economic drive of westward expansion could sometimes bridge old political divides.
In 1780, with the threat of British occupation of Hillsborough, Hart and fellow Provincial Congress member Nathaniel Rochester moved to the Hagerstown Maryland area. Hart eventually settled in Kentucky, dying there in 1808. Fun fact: Hart was the father in law of famed Senator Henry Clay. Read the full bio here.
Zedekiah Stone: Â Zedekiah Stone arrived in Bertie County in 1766 and established a home on the current Hope property. He served on the committee to obtain arms and ammunition for the Continental Army and later was elected State Senator for Bertie County.
Abner Nash: A True North Carolina Patriot
Abner Nash was a prominent lawyer and politician who played a crucial role in North Carolina’s transition from a royal colony to an independent state. He and his younger brother, General Francis Nash, moved to Hillsborough, North Carolina, around 1762. Abner, an attorney who “read the law,” quickly advanced his career by moving to Halifax and serving as an elected representative for Halifax County in the House of Burgesses in 1764 and 1771.
While in Halifax, Nash married Justina Davis Dobbs, the widow of Governor Arthur Dobbs. He became a central figure in a major legal and political conflict after suing the late governor’s sons to secure his wife’s rightful inheritance. The legal battle, known as the “Martin court quarrel,“ led to a bitter dispute between Nash and Governor Josiah Martin. This controversy effectively shut down most of the colony’s courts and became a major catalyst for the revolutionary movement in North Carolina, demonstrating the deep-seated friction between the colonists and the royal government.
Following Justina’s tragic death in 1771, Nash moved to New Bern and married Mary Whiting Jones. They settled at a home called Pembroke, which was later burned by the British in 1781. Nash quickly became a prominent member of his new community, serving as a lawyer and actively engaging in political discourse. His commitment to independence was firm and early; as a member of the Committee of Safety as early as 1775, he drew the ire of Governor Martin, who specifically blamed Nash for the colony’s growing rebellion, calling him a “principal promoter of sedition” and an “unprincipled character.”
After the state declared independence, Nash continued to serve in a number of critical roles. He became the second governor of North Carolina from 1780 to 1781, a particularly perilous time as General Lord Cornwallis brought the fight to the Carolinas. He stepped down from his role in June 1781 and re-entered politics, serving in the Continental Congress from 1782 until his death in 1786. His extensive service at both the state and national levels cemented his legacy as a founder and leader of the new republic. Read bio here
Farquard Campbell: A Wolf in Patriot’s Clothing?
Farquard Campbell, a native of Scotland, settled in Cumberland County near Cross Creek (present-day Fayetteville) where he worked as a surveyor and helped plot the town of Campbellton. His history of aligning with the royal government was already established during the War of Regulation, when he served with Governor Tryon against the Regulators. As tensions with Great Britain escalated into the American Revolution, Campbell’s loyalties became a subject of growing controversy.
Initially, Campbell’s actions painted him as a committed Patriot. As early as 1770, he was chosen by the Sons of Liberty to serve on a committee of thirty prominent men from the Cape Fear region, a group whose purpose was to demonstrate “patriotism and loyalty to the common cause.” In July 1775, his involvement appeared even deeper when he was named to the Wilmington District Committee of Safety, a key revolutionary body.
However, a closer look reveals that Campbell’s efforts to balance his loyalties were more insidious than they appeared. By the fall of 1775, his “equivocation” began to surface, prompting the Provincial Congress to pass a resolution affirming “confidence in his integrity,” a public statement that paradoxically underscores the widespread suspicion of his actions. This concern was not unfounded; Royal Governor Josiah Martin commented on Campbell’s “inconsistency” in a letter to London, yet expressed hope that he could still “reconcile their interests” if they were able to meet. This suggests a covert, ongoing relationship between Campbell and the royal government.
After the Patriots celebrated a decisive victory at The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in February 1776, Campbell was captured and soon after, the Provincial Congress found him guilty of assisting the enemy. He was not a misunderstood revolutionary; he was a Loyalist posing as one. Because of his personal influence, he was removed from the state for public safety and eventually paroled, but the verdict was clear. Farquard Campbell’s story serves as a stark reminder that in the complex world of revolutionary politics, not all who profess to be Patriots are what they seem.
Despite being found guilty of assisting the British in 1776 and subsequently imprisoned, Campbell returned to political life after the war. He served in the North Carolina state senate from 1785 to 1793. On December 11, 1790, the state senate passed a resolution that declared his actions during the Revolutionary War to be justifiable. The resolution also stated that because he had since behaved as a “friend to the United States,” he would be “entitled to all the privileges and immunities that all other good citizens of this State are entitled to.” This official resolution effectively cleared his name and pardoned him for his actions during the conflict. His story is a unique example of how a convicted Loyalist was not only forgiven but also politically rehabilitated in the new American republic. Read his bio here.
- Fun fact: Farquand Campbell was a character in Outlander
Memucan Hunt: A Pillar of North Carolina’s Financial Governance
Memucan Hunt was a key figure in North Carolina’s revolutionary government, representing Granville County in all five of the Provincial Congresses. His political focus was on establishing a fiscally sound state. In 1777, Hunt was appointed Treasurer for the Hillsborough district, one of six such positions in the state at the time.
His commitment to financial stability continued throughout his career. He served in the North Carolina General Assembly and was elected to the State Senate in 1779, where he served on the Committee of Accounts. Hunt’s work demonstrates the Provincial Congresses’ commitment to creating a self-sufficient government with its own currency and sound financial practices, a crucial step in preparing for independence from British rule. Bio
Waightstill Avery: From Crown Attorney to Patriot Statesman
Waightstill Avery was a prominent lawyer and politician whose career reflected the dramatic shift from colonial rule to independence. Born in 1741, he was educated at both Yale and the College of New Jersey (later Princeton), establishing a strong foundation for his legal career in the North Carolina Piedmont. Along with fellow Princeton graduates, Avery was an early advocate for higher education in the colony, though his efforts to secure a royal charter for Queen’s College in Charlotte were unsuccessful. The school, denied a charter due to a British law requiring all colleges to be Anglican, was founded as a preparatory school, and Avery donated a library to it.
Avery’s political career began as a servant of the Crown; he was elected to the colonial assembly in 1772 and served as the attorney-general. However, as tensions with Great Britain escalated, he became an active and vocal supporter of the Patriot cause. Avery was a pivotal figure in North Carolina’s revolutionary government. He was elected to the Provincial Congresses in 1775 and 1776, where he helped draft the state’s first constitution. He went on to become the first Attorney General of North Carolina (1777–1779) and a colonel in the state’s militia during the Revolutionary War. Avery continued to serve the new republic in the North Carolina General Assembly for several terms (1782–1785, 1793, 1796). His strong commitment to independence was evident from the start, making him one of the early instigators of the movement to separate from Great Britain. In March 1790, he was a candidate in the first election for the 4th congressional district.
Shocking History ‘The Bacon Duel:’ Did you know that Waightstill Avery and Andrew Jackson were involved in a duel. Waightstill Avery and Andrew Jackson famously had a duel in 1788 after a courtroom incident involving a prank by Jackson, who replaced Avery’s copy of Bacon’s reports with an actual side of bacon. After Jackson challenged Avery to a duel, they met on a field, but both fired their pistols into the air, and the conflict was resolved with Avery lecturing Jackson. Old Hickory (Jackson) was originally from the Waxhaws area near Charlotte. He lost his entire family during the war and was imprisoned at age 13-14 by the British at Camden. Read more here
John Penn: The Unofficial Revolutionary of the Backcountry
John Penn, though a key figure in North Carolina’s revolutionary government, began his life with a humble education. Born on a plantation in Caroline County, Virginia, he was largely self-taught, using the extensive library of his relative, Edmund Pendleton, to study law. After moving to Granville County, North Carolina, he was elected to serve as a delegate at the Third Provincial Congress, which convened in Hillsborough on August 20, 1775.
An active member of the Congress, Penn was elected to the Continental Congress to replace Richard Caswell, who had resigned to become the treasurer of the Southern District of North Carolina. Unlike the original congressional delegation of William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and Caswell, who were all easterners who had supported Governor Tryon against the Regulators, Penn’s election was a strategic move to appease backcountry leaders like his neighbor and political supporter, Thomas Person.
While Penn often disagreed with Hooper and Hewes on political matters, he initially shared their hope for reconciliation with Great Britain. However, Penn was the first of the three to embrace the idea of independence. In a letter to Thomas Person on February 14, 1776, he argued for foreign alliances, even if they led to “total separation from the mother country.” By March, all three delegates were convinced that independence was inevitable. This shift in opinion was formalized when Penn traveled with William Hooper to be present at the Halifax Resolves in April 1776, which authorized them to vote for independence, making North Carolina the first state to do so. John Penn Bio
Francis Nash: Hero of the RevolutionÂ
Francis Nash was a respected lawyer, politician, and brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He began his public service in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he actively opposed the Regulator movement. Before the war, he served in the colonial North Carolina General Assembly and was a delegate to the first three Patriot provincial congresses. In 1775, Nash was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 1st North Carolina Regiment and was later promoted to brigadier general in 1777, commanding the state’s brigade under General George Washington. He led his troops in the Philadelphia Campaign but was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777, and died three days later. Nash was one of only ten Patriot generals to die from combat wounds during the war. He is memorialized by the naming of several places, including Nashville, Tennessee, and Nash County, North Carolina. His house still stands on West Tryon Street in Hillsborough. Bio of Francis Nash
What were Committees of Safety? One of the key topics during the Provincial Congress was tied to organization of Committees of Safety.
During the American Revolution, Committees of Safety were created by provincial and Continental congresses to act as de facto governments. Their purpose was to enforce boycotts, regulate the economy, raise revolutionary forces, and administer civil and criminal justice before formal state governments were established.
In North Carolina, these committees were established in late 1774 and early 1775 to enforce the Continental Association, which banned all trade with Britain. Located in 18 counties and four towns, they performed a variety of crucial duties. These included spreading Patriot propaganda, making military preparations, enforcing price ceilings on strategic goods, and punishing violators with boycotts. The committees also regulated public morals, seized and sold imported goods, and re-shipped enslaved people and other imports.
The Committees of Safety, particularly the highly active Wilmington-New Hanover committee, played a direct role in the collapse of royal authority. Their activities were so effective that Governor Josiah Martin fled in fear in June 1775, first to Fort Johnston at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and then to the British warship Cruizer. This event cemented the committees’ status as the true governing power in the colony.
The Living History Market
The Living History Market offered an excellent opportunity to connect with representatives from key regional historic sites, organizations, and businesses. A few of the attendees included:
- Friends of Moorefields: Built in 1785, as the summer estate of Supreme Court Judge Alfred Moore. This 70-acre estate is now open on Thursdays for guided tours. Stay tuned for an in-depth feature on this historical gem in Hillsborough in the coming weeks. Plan your visit here
- Joel Lane House: The oldest house in Wake County and home to Patriot and Third Provincial Congress attendee, Joel Lane. Plan your visit here
- Battle of Alamance State Historic Site: Learn about the Regulator movement and the decisive victory by Governor Tryon’s North Carolina militia, which effectively ended the uprising in 1771. Plan your visit here
- Moore’s Creek Bridge National Battlefield: Commemorates one of the most significant early Patriot victories in the American Revolution, which took place in February 1776. Plan your visit here
- Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: The site of a pyrrhic victory for Lord Cornwallis against General Nathanael Greene in March 1781. The high cost of the battle forced Cornwallis to retreat to Wilmington for resupply and eventually leave the Carolinas for Virginia, a decision that set the stage for his surrender at Yorktown. Plan your visit here
- Fun fact: Both Cornwallis and Greene passed through Hillsborough during the war.
- Preservation Fund of Hillsborough: Wonderful preservation organization in Hillsborough. Current project is restoring the Dickerson AME Church, which is steeped in history from Orange County Courthouse to church!
- Orange County Historical Museum: Wonderful local museum telling the story of Orange County and Hillsborough
- Burgwin-Wright House (Wilmington): Built in 1770, the Burgwin–Wright House and Gardens is the only structure in Wilmington from the colonial era open to the public.
- Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation​ – Learn about the rich Native American traditions in Hillsborough
- Spirit Freedom
- Sons of the American Revolution – General Francis Nash Chapter
- Daughters of the American Revolution
While in Hillsborough, I also enjoyed perusing the Hillsborough food scene, grabbing a Smoky Pumpkin latte at Cup of Joe Coffee and later a gelato from Matthew’s Chocolates…
In our next blog post we’ll be diving into Hillsborough’s history and fun things to do in the area. Hillsborough is one of my favorite places to visit and go-to daytrip getaway from my home base in Raleigh. Don’t forget to subscribe for upcoming features on Hillsborough, America 250, and so much more.
Hillsborough resources:
5 thoughts on “America 250 -Liberty Trails: Third Provincial Congress in Hillsborough NC”