Culpeper's Rebellion

Culpeper’s Rebellion was a colonial response to oppressive trade and shipping rules enforced in the seventeenth century by the British Parliament. It took place in Albemarle County, North Carolina, when the region was led by a group of men known as Lord Proprietors. The rebellion’s leaders, which included John Culpeper, arrested several members of the government and assumed governance of the area. They held power for two years before Culpeper was charged with treason. He was found not guilty, and the rebellion ended peacefully.

Background

England established its first colonies in America in the 1500s in what is now Virginia. By the 1600s, some colonists from Virginia had moved south of that colony, prompting additional English interest in the area. King Charles I gave the land to his attorney general, Sir Robert Heath, but Heath failed to establish a viable English presence in the area. Eventually, additional settlers from Virginia moved into an area called Albemarle Sound.

As this settlement began to flourish, some of the English nobility became interested in owning the land. In 1663, Charles I allocated the land to eight noblemen who became known as Lord proprietors. They held title to the area they named Albemarle County and divided it into four segments called precincts. During what became known as the proprietary period, the precincts were ruled by a governor, a strong council, and a weak elected assembly. The council consisted mostly of members who had been hand-picked by the proprietors. In this way, the proprietors maintained strong control over Albemarle County. However, the proprietors were more interested in what was going on in a more profitable colony to the south. Charles Towne, which became Charleston, South Carolina, had a better economy than the smaller, more isolated colony at Albemarle. By the 1670s, the local government had become ineffective and subject to power struggles. It was rumored that the proprietors might hand off the area to the governor of Virginia. People became frustrated with the proprietors and tension existed between their supporters and opponents.

Albemarle County residents were also upset by a series of navigation acts that England imposed on the American colonies. These acts were intended to bolster England’s shipbuilding and trade strength by controlling imports and exports. Passed in the 1650s and 1660s, the acts required most goods to be transported to England before being shipped to other European countries. Duties and tariffs were required, and England also regulated who could own and serve aboard ships. Then, in 1673, England added the Plantation Duty Act, which imposed heavy duties on tobacco, the prime crop in the Carolinas at the time. This forced all shipments to go to England.

The disgruntled colonists sent Governor Peter Carteret to England to plead for relief but did not receive any help. As the years passed, resentment and discontent grew. Then, in 1676, Thomas Eastchurch was appointed as the new governor of the area. When he visited the West Indies, he appointed his assistant, Thomas Miller, to serve as deputy governor. This was a questionable appointment, but the colonists accepted it until Miller began abusing his power. He rigged elections and took over the collection of the duties paid by merchants, enforcing this action with a militia he had organized. He also seized ships and cargoes without proper authority, levied high fines for slight infractions, and even ordered arrests. Unrest that had been brewing in Albemarle County began to boil over.

Overview

Two of the men Miller had arrested were Zachariah Gillam, a New England trader, and George Durant, an outspoken opponent of the proprietors and the local government. In 1676, Durant led a rebellion that caused the assembly to shut down. He and his men then chased Eastchurch and his supporters until they fled to Virginia. Durant in turn left for England. He was aboard Gillam’s ship, the Carolina, when it arrived in Albemarle County, prompting Miller to arrest them both.

After their arrest on December 1, 1677, surveyor general John Culpeper organized a group to free them and seize control of the government. On December 3, Culpeper and his anti-proprietary allies raided the house of Timothy Biggs, who held the county records and the official seal used on government records. Culpeper then wrote his Remonstrance, or declaration of why he and his men were arresting and overthrowing Miller to gain support for the revolt. Over the next few days, Gillam and Durant were freed and Miller and another man, John Nixon, who was part of the Albemarle County Council, were arrested and held for trial.

A rebel assembly and trial were scheduled for December 24 and 25, but Eastchurch arrived in Virginia and condemned the revolt. Instead, the rebels held Miller and Biggs in a makeshift prison. John Jenkins, who had been temporary acting governor and president of the council when the former governor Carteret left for England, became acting president of the rebel council. Culpeper was chosen to serve as the customs and duties collector. Although there were concerns that forces from Virginia would be brought in to unseat the rebels, this did not happen, and Eastchurch died unexpectedly.

Peace reigned in Albemarle County for a time, until Biggs managed to escape and make his way to England. The proprietors awarded him the title of comptroller of customs for his loyalty and dispatched another governor to take over governance in the county. However, he was seized by pirates while on his way and an Albemarle County resident, John Harvey, was named governor in his place. Meanwhile, by 1679 Miller also escaped to England. When he relayed his version of the story, Culpeper was summoned on charges of treason. He was put on trial, but the proprietors were apparently afraid that if he was convicted, it would upset the British, so they helped to exonerate him. The rebellion ended. Although several people were involved in instigating the events of 1677–1679, the rebellion bore Culpeper’s name, and he was the only one tried in connection with it.

Bibliography

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Stokes, Matt. “Culpeper’s Rebellion.” Encyclopedia of North Carolina,www.ncpedia.org/culpepers-rebellion-0. Accessed 17 Apr. 2023.