Regulators of North Carolina

Progress Report

This is still very much a work in progress. I have posted most of the available primary source material on the Regulation, principally from the Colonial Records of North Carolina and Governor Tryon's collected works. I have also attached two tracts written by Herman Husband. The remainder of the primary source material seems to be archived in North Carolina.

One question I had about the wikipage was how to address historiography (if I should address it at all). In my analysis section, should I describe the different historiographic approaches to the Regulation?

Project Description and Research Questions

Project Description

For my project, I intend to study anti-creditor movements during the pre-Revolutionary war period. More specifically, I plan to study the Regulator movement in North Carolina, identifying its causes, Regulator demands and responses to the movement.

Research Questions

Who were the Regulators? What were their grievances? How did this movement seek to address these grievances? What did the insurrection's ultimate failure demonstrate about the colony's economic, political and legal structure?

Primary Source Documents

Assorted Documents

• Letter_Describing_Religious_Dissenters,_20_July_1766.pdf: Letter describing the religious dissenters in the North Carolina backcountry.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_August_1766.pdf: Regulator Advertisement from Orange County.

• Governor_Tryons_A_View_of_the_Polity.pdf: Governor Tryon's description of the political, legal and economic structure of the economy.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_15_Jan_1768.pdf: A Regulator advertisement.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_4_April_1768.pdf: A Regulator advertisement.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_25_April_1768.pdf: A Regulator advertisement.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_30_April_1768.pdf: Regulator Advertisement, with instructions for the Regulator Convention attendees.

• Regulator_Advertisement,_Petition_and_Letter.pdf: Regulator advertisement, petition and letter to Hermon Husband.

• Tryons_Response_to_Regulator_Petitions,_13_August_1768.pdf: Tryon's response to the Regulator petitions. These documents also includes some exchanges between Tryon and the Regulators while Tryon was in Hillsborough.

• Article_from_Boston_Chronicle,_7_Nov_1768.pdf: Article printed in the Boston Chronicle, reporting on the poll taxes levied to pay for Governor Tryon's house.

• Petition_and_Depositions_from_Orange_County.pdf: Petition from Orange Country residents and accompanying depositions, describing the extortionate practices of Orange County court officials.

• Fanning_Trial,_22_March_1769.pdf: Trial of Colonel Fanning for extortion.

• Letter_to_Herman_Husband,_14_Sept_1769.pdf: Letter to Herman Husband, detailing the difficulties that some backcountry farmers experienced in suing for extortion at the local courthouse.

• Assembly_Resolutions,_06_Nov_1769.pdf: Assembly resolutions discussing the collection of public funds, and subsequent address by Governor Tryon.

• Tax_Collection,_Rowan_County_1770.pdf: Sheriff describes Regulators' refusal to pay taxes in Rowan County

• Orange_County_Petitions.pdf: Petitions from Orange County

• Hillsborough_Riots_24_Sept._1770.pdf: An account of the Hillsborough Riots, which took place on September 4, 1770.

• Tryons_Response_to_the_Hillsborough_Riots.pdf: The Attorney General describes the incident as a riot - which does not amount to treason - and consequently recommends that the Assembly pass a Riot Act

• Anti-Regulator_Petition.pdf: An anti-Regulator petition, signed by Edmond Fanning.

• Minutes_from_the_Assembly,_17_Dec_1770.pdf: Minutes from the Assembly following the Regulator insurrection. The Assembly addresses fraudulent land conveyances, official fees, the expansion of inferior courts, and empowering Presbyterian ministers to solemnize marriages.

• Petition_from_Orange_Country.pdf: Petition to empower justices of the peace to hear small claims.

• Johnston_Riot_Act.pdf: The Johnston Riot Act, enacted on January 15, 1771.

• Letter_from_James_Iredell,_21_Dec_1770.pdf: Letter from James Iredell describing the Johnston Riot Act.

• Tax_Collection_in_Bute_County,_23_April_1771.pdf: A sheriff describing his difficulty in collecting taxes.

• Letter_from_Governor_Martin,_30_Aug_1772.pdf: Letter from Governor Martin describing his tour through the Western counties, and assessing the causes of insurrection.

• Letter_from_Governor_Martin,_16_March_1775.pdf: Letter from Governor Martin assessing political sympathies on the eve of the Revolution.

Herman Husband's "An Impartial Relation"

• An_Impartial_Relation,_First_Part.pdf: Herman Husband's "An Impartial Relation," printed in 1770. This document contains pages 1-25.

• An_Impartial_Relation,_Second_Part.pdf: Herman Husband's "An Impartial Relation," printed in 1770. This document contains pages 26-50.

• An_Impartial_Relation,_Third_Part.pdf: Herman Husband's "An Impartial Relation," printed in 1770. This document contains pages 51-75.

• An_Impartial_Relation,_Fourth_Part.pdf: Herman Husband's "An Impartial Relation," printed in 1770. This document contains pages 76-104, the final page in the tract.

Herman Husband's "A Fan for Fanning"

• A_Fan_for_Fanning,_First_Part.pdf: The first part of Herman Husband's "A Fan for Fanning."

• A_Fan_for_Fanning,_Second_Part.pdf: The second part of Herman Husband's "A Fan for Fanning."

• A_Fan_for_Fanning,_Third_Part.pdf: The third part of Herman Husband's "A Fan for Fanning."

• A_Fan_for_Fanning,_Fourth_Part.pdf: The fourth part of Herman Husband's "A Fan for Fanning."

-- ChrisFasano - 19 Nov 2009

• Governor_Tryons_Letter,_4_July_1767.pdf: Governor Tryon describes the embezzlement of taxes.

• Governor_Tryons_Letter,_20_March_1769.pdf: Governor Tryon describes religious dissenters in the backcountry.

• Letter_to_Governor_Tryon,_28_April_1768.pdf: Letter from Samuel Spencer, county clerk and assembly member. Spencer describes the Regulators' refusal to pay taxes, and their desire to inspect the court records.

• Letter_from_Edmund_Fanning_to_Governor_Tryon,_23_April_1768.pdf: Letter from Edmund Fanning to Governor Tryon, detailing the objects of Regulator hostility.

• Letter_from_William_Tryon,_16_June_1768.pdf: Letter from Governor Tryon to the Earl of Hillsborough, describing the Regulator demands.

• House_Recommendations,_31_Oct_1769.pdf: Recommendations from the House of Representatives concerning record keeping for the public funds.

• Letter_to_Governor_Tryon,_13_March_1770.pdf: Letter to Governor Tryon explaining describing the religious dissenters' obstruction of a Vestry vote.

• Deposition_of_a_Backcountry_Resident,_8_March_1771.pdf: Deposition of a backcountry resident, describing the Regulator reaction to the Johnston Riot Act.

• Exchange_between_Anson_County_Regulators_and_Governor_Tryon,_15_Aug_1768.pdf: Exchange between Anson Country Regulators and Governor Tryon. In response to the Regulator accusations of extortion, Tryon recommends that they prosecute the offending officials.

• Regulator_Petitions,_October_1769.pdf: Several Regulator petitions, demanding that: lawyers be barred from the House of Representatives; clerks receive salaries rather than fees; dissenting ministers be allowed to marry their followers; taxation proportional to estates; and several other items.