The Revolutionary War Began in North Carolina not New England

Question

This position is supported by Dr. Marjolene Kars of the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus in her book Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in Pre-revolutionary North Carolina.  The prelude to the Revolution began with War of Regulation (1766-1771) a Wikitree category.  It culminated with the Battle of Alamance when Royal Governor Tryon forced all Regulators to sign an oath of allegiance to the crown.  Over 6,000 Regulators did which accounted for 75% of the adult free men in Piedmont NC.  Those who refused became known as Refugees from Alamance and fled Indian Territory in western SC and NC which were outside the Governor’s control.  The War was characterized by Advertisements (petitions of protest) against the Governor which mysteriously disappeared until 1920 when they were found in the British West Indies bearing a UK copyright.  They were retrieved and transcribed and lost once again.  The story of the War and the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of the documents which are available for viewing in the article may be found in an account by Wikitree’s Teresa Fortenberry and Hugh Barnes at:

 https://competitivestrategies.us/war-of-regulation-1766-1771/

 We seek your advice in expanding not only the narrative text describing the Wikitree category but also creating three class of profile that qualify for membership:

Class 1- Regulators which is the only one in use today.  Currently, that group consists of only 17 profiles.  Our research in preparation for this article could easily bump that number to 50 current profiles with no research.  If we were permitted and we are not proposing to do so, we could add as you see on some Wikitree profiles born before x died after same after the same x date when existence is proven by a Will and in so doing increase the number to 600.

Class 2 – Individuals loyal to Tryon who became Patriots during the Revolutionary War.  This was the bulk of Tryon’s support.  We have not attempted to make a count, but it was the majority of his support and there are many Wikitree profiles already in the system.

Class 3 – Individuals who supported Tryon and became Loyalist during the Revolutionary War.

Comments

Your remark, "The War was characterized by Advertisements (petitions of protest) against the Governor which mysteriously disappeared until 1920 when they were found in the British West Indies bearing a UK copyright," is particularly interesting. 

During Cromwell's time, seditious literature was seized and given a UK copyright. This made it possible to prosecute protesters in civil court (where the level of required proof is lower) for copyright infringement rather than in criminal court. I guess that Cromwell's wasn't the only regime to use this tactic.

By the way, this precedent is why the U.S. Government (in general, but with a few exceptions) doesn't copyright anything.

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I propose that the current War of Regulation category be revised.

These changes reflect a State and National movement within the Sons of the American Revolution.  The change calls for the recognition of a pre-War event be moved from 6 December 1773 to 1776.  This action has been presented to the Historic Sites and Celebrations Committee of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution and has wide support at both the State and National level.  The new Wikitree category should read as follows:

Category: War of Regulation

Categories: Wars 1500-1799 | Province of North Carolina | Province of South Carolina | North Carolina | South Carolina | Rowan County, North Carolina | Anson County, North Carolina | Orange County, North Carolina | Granville County, North Carolina | Cumberland County, North Carolina | Mecklenburg County, North Carolina | North Carolina History | South Carolina Colony | South Carolina History

This category is managed by the Military and War Project in association with the Categorization Project. For assistance with this or related categories ask in G2G making sure to tag your question with both CATEGORIZATIONand MILITARY_AND_WAR.

 Main Category for the War of Regulation

Contents [hide] <!--[if !supportLists]-->·   <!--[endif]-->1 Introduction <!--[if !supportLists]-->·   <!--[endif]-->2 Resources <!--[if !supportLists]-->·   <!--[endif]-->3 HELP! <!--[if !supportLists]-->·   <!--[endif]-->4 Sources

 

Introduction

 “The War of the Regulation (or the Regulator Movement) was an uprising in the British North America's Carolina colonies, lasting from about 1766 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against colonial officials. Though the rebellion did not change the power structure, some historians consider it a catalyst to the American Revolutionary War.”

 The war marched into high gear with the signing of a petition presented to Royal Governor Tryon protesting taxes. The petition dated May 1768 lists over 400 signers that should be awarded the War of Regulation category.

 The War terminated with the Battle of Alamance. The government won. Regulators were shot and hung. Many fled to South Carolina or Indian Territory in western North Carolina. Those who fled are known as the Refugees from Alamance.  A detailed description of the War may be found at:    https://competitivestrategies.us/war-of-regulation-1766-1771/

List of Regulators may be found on Advertisement No. 9 and the Anson Petition at:  https://competitivestrategies.us/regulator-advertisements-index/

 Search these lists using Ctrl + f. Enter the last name of your patriot in the search box. Do not use the search box provided on the site. Be sure to consider colonial spelling and name variations. Both Barnes and Barns are examples that appear on the list from UNC.

The category is divided into three sub-categories:

Category 1: Regulators who opposed Royal Governor William Tryon.

 Category 2:  Forces Loyal to Governor Tryon but supported American Independence in 1776.

 Category 3: Tryon’s supporters (Tories) who remained loyal to the Crown.

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Hugh, I created a free-space profile for the information. I then orphaned it, and you are free to adopt it and amend it.

The category page has only basic information on it and should remain that way.

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Space:The_War_of_Regulation

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Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I always understood the "Regulator Rebellion" of 1766 to 1771 to have failed. So if it failed how can it be the start of a revolution which is generally agreed to have started 1775 at Lexington and Concord?

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The War was unsucessful but like the Boston Tea Party was a pre-War event.

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A free-space is unneeded. The current category contains errors probably due to re-writes.  The current category requires revision and can actually be shortened in length with appears to be one of your major concerns.   In any case, three classed of membership should be established.

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Yes sir. I was just commenting to the original title to the which was "The Revolutionary War was started in North Carolina not New England" The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was a pre-war event, but was a protest of the tea act.

Answer 1

" We seek your advice in expanding not only the narrative text describing the Wikitree category"

I'll comment on that part. If is to be more than a few sentences, it should be placed on a free-space profile which would be linked from the category page.

Sounds like a great effort, Hugh, but I'm not sure how this grouping will help anyone genealogically. Sometimes I think our tree is getting too much like "wikipedia" with family added.lol.

Comments

Truthfully, I have not found Wikipedia reliable for anything other than examining the footnotes. When I created the category, I did not include Wikipedia for that reason someone else did.  Consider Teresa and me vain but a link to our article is a better source.  The War is so important the current VP, who was former Secretary and will soon be President of the NC Society of the SAR has asked National SAR to recognize those who signed Advertisement No. 9 in our article to be recognized for patriot service.  He has amended his view since Teresa discovered the Anson document he now includes them.  He is Jim Becker of Raleigh and has authorized to make his name know.  He is originally from PA and is a good historian with no signer ancestors.  I would also like to see the classes for membership established.

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Well, that's fantastic, Hugh! I agree on Wikipedia and it depends on who's doing the writing/editing. I do head to the footnotes and check out the sources, too.

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The true benefit is more re-writing the wrong that has been propagated by those who wish to discredit us Southerners in the role we played in the Revolutionary War and where it started.  I am far less concerned about writing credits than I am about the facts told by Dr. Kars becoming widely accepted as true facts and that those brave men who fought long before anyone in New England did.  I will be content with the addition of the three class and if anyone wants to understand to War, Dr. Kar has an e-Book that is available at some locations that is free and it not Wikipedia should be cited.  It does not include the twelve petitions, not the Regulators.

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Hugh, as a proud Tar Heel, and a descendant of many Old North State Patriots (and two loyalists), I commend your efforts to give recognition to this important and often overlooked part of our history.

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I agree NC regulators were ready for the revolution (thanks to Dr. Marjolene Kars book) but also submit this for consideration. Every year preceding the Fourth of July parade in Bristol RI, newspapers and commentators here note the "Burning of the Gaspee" actually marked the first acts of violent uprising against the British crown's authority in America. The Gaspee was a British customs schooner enforcing the Navigation Acts in and around Newport RI in 1772.  It ran aground in shallow water chasing the packet ship Hannah on June 9 near what is now known as Gaspee Point in Warwick RI.  A group of men led by Abraham Whipple and John Brown attacked, boarded and torched the ship.  This preceded the Boston Tea Party by more than a year, moving the Colonies as a whole toward the war for independence.

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Natalie,

Those who have followed me on Wikitree know that I have never been nor do I want to be known for Political Correctness.  I like Henry Clay would “rather be right than President.”  Were that not the case, I would not have driven a stake into the heart of Revolutionary War Patriot my 4^th great-grandfather for in all probability his act of conspiring to murder his brother Jehu (Barnes-1114).  The story is told on Jehu’s my 4^th great uncle's profile with even greater detail in [https://competitivestrategies.us/jehu-barnes-his-death/ Jehu Barnes — His Death a Family Affair]. 

I have never wanted to re-write history to suit my personal whims.  Facts clearly support that the Revolution War started in North Carolina with the War of Regulation.  That position is supported by Dr. Kars who hails from the Netherlands.  NC SAR VP and soon to be President James A. Becker who hails from Pennsylvania.  Jim has no Regulator ancestors.  He is, however, one of the most knowledgeable War historians to be found.  That position is also taken by William S. Powell who and who wrote an extremely well-sourced book on the War.  Powell, a Guggenheim Fellow, served for an extended period as Director of the North Carolina State Archive and also served as a member of the History faculty at the University of North Carolina.  Powell was described by his colleagues as dean of North Carolina history.

The American Revolution is the single most important event in US history.  Taking any position other than the fact that the prelude to it occurred in North Carolina is akin Ostrich burying its head in the sand.

I propose that the Category be re-written as follows:

Introduction

The [ https://competitivestrategies.us/war-of-regulation-1766-1771/ War of Regulation] was an uprising in British North America's Carolina colonies, lasting from 1766 to 1771.  Actions by the British Empire beginning in 1752 resulted at the outbreak with citizens taking up arms against colonial officials.

The war marched into high gear with the signing of a petition presented to Royal Governor Tryon protesting taxes. The petition dated May 1768 lists over 400 signers that should include one of the three sub-categories for recognition in the War of Regulation Category.

The War terminated with the Battle of Alamance. The government won in a Battle lasting only 2 hours. A few Regulators were shot and hung. Over 6,000 (75% of the adult free males in Piedmont North Carolina signed an oath of allegiance to the government.  Some who refused to sign fled to South Carolina or Indian Territory in western North Carolina. Those who fled are known as the Refugees from Alamance.

People or pages in War of Regulation

Category 1:

Regulators who opposed Royal Willam, Governor Tryon:

 Category 2:  Forces Loyal to Governor Tryon but supported American Independence in 1776.

 Category 3: Tryon’s supporters (Tories) who remained loyal to the Crown.

 

 

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I created the category several years ago; it was widely accepted, the  article referenced above, promoting the fact the War of Regulation was a prelude to the American Revolution has been endorsed by the following:

Dr. Sam C. Powell: current Treasurer, past President, Director of the SAR Foundation of the NC Society Sons of the American Revolution, , and a  member State Board  of Community Colleges; Jim Becker: current Vice-President, past Secretary and President-elect North Carolina Society Society Sons of the American Revolution; William McEntire Bice-President of the Mountain Region of the NCSSAR.  This position is also supported by Dr. Marjolene Kars of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus and a native of the Netherlands and William S. Powell each of whom wrote books supporting that fact.   

In a minimum of thirty days from this the 14^th day of November 2018 today, I will begin drafting a proposal for the Military and War Project in support of the position taken by the article that the War of Regulation was a prelude as roughly outlined below. We must remember that genealogy is a subset of our history of which the War is a part and the two cannot be separated.  For individuals with facts supporting an opposite view, they should present them here for review the Military and War Project.

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There are 4 profiles attached to [[Category:Battle of Alamance]], created in 2016.

The [[Category:War of Regulation]], created in 2016, contains one subcategory and 17 profiles. 

You say "we seek your advice in expanding not only the narrative text describing the Wikitree category but also creating three class of profile that qualify for membership." I told you that the content of the category page should not be longer than it already is, really, and that the way to expand it is to create a free-space profile, where you may go into great detail. You could still change what is there now, but keep it to a short summary, then provide a link to that detailed free-space profile right on the category page. 

You can create three subcategories to join Battle of Alamance, but the naming needs to be tweaked because the category names would be long and clunky to use as you have presented above.

I'm only addressing the use of categories here, not the value of the content.

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I an not in a hurry and anticipate it taking at least a month and probably more to do it right.  I will review all options before presenting anything.

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When did the NC Militia turn to 2nd Continental Army NC of which my 5th Generation Great-Grandfather was in?

Answer 2

My 5x great grandfather was a regulator. His na was Edward Narramore and he fought in Revolutionary War his son John was and did also.