Halifax Independence Day
Halifax Independence Day is observed on April 12, marking the significant moment in 1776 when North Carolina's provincial congress authorized its delegates to support the Declaration of Independence alongside representatives from other colonies. This event occurred against a backdrop of rising tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, as many colonists began to believe that reconciliation was unlikely and that military victory was achievable. The political landscape in North Carolina at the time was complex, with divisions between Loyalists and Patriots, influenced by settlers of different backgrounds, including Lowland Scots and Highland Scots.
The turning point leading to Halifax Independence Day was the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in February 1776, where Patriot forces defeated Loyalists, significantly boosting morale for the independence movement. Following this victory, the provincial congress convened in Halifax, where they unanimously resolved to support independence. Halifax Independence Day serves as a reminder of the local contributions to the broader American Revolution and highlights the diverse perspectives within North Carolina during this pivotal moment in history.
Halifax Independence Day
April 12 commemorates the date in 1776 when the provincial congress of North Carolina authorized the colony's delegates to the Second Continental Congress to join with representatives from the other colonies in a Declaration of Independence. Several factors precipitated this first official sanction of separation from Great Britain, including the increasing realization that the mother country would never agree to American demands and the growing belief in the possibility of a colonial military victory.
On the eve of the American Revolution, political sentiment in North Carolina was fairly evenly divided. The Lowland Scots and Scotch-Irish, who had come to the colony early in the eighteenth century and controlled North Carolina's government, provided the impetus for the patriot movement. The Highland Scots, who had recently settled in the Piedmont region and resented exclusion from public office by the earlier arrivals, formed the core of Loyalist support. In August 1775 the royal governor, Josiah Martin, had been forced to flee to the safety of a British ship anchored in the Cape Fear River, but, recognizing the strength of the Loyalists, he represented to the home government that if they were supported by a body of British troops the colony might be kept under control.
In the winter of 1775–1776, a British force under Sir Henry Clinton was sent to North Carolina. Commissions were issued to influential men in the colony. These men, under the direction of Governor Martin, enlisted about 1,500 Loyalists. The patriots, aware of what was going on, called out the militia and took the field under Colonel James Moore. When Sir Henry Clinton was expected at Cape Fear, eighty-year-old General Donald McDonald, in command of the Loyalist force, moved to join him. Colonel Moore ordered parties of militia to post themselves at Moore's Creek Bridge, over which McDonald would have to pass. The patriots fought a decisive battle at this bridge on February 27, 1776, defeating the Loyalists, taking 850 prisoners, and capturing a large store of military supplies. Inspired by this victory, on April 12 delegates elected to a provincial congress that met at Halifax, North Carolina, unanimously adopted a resolution allowing their representatives to the Second Continental Congress “to concur with the delegates of the other Colonies in declaring Independency.”
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Zehnder, Katherine. "First in Freedom: Halifax Resolves Adopted 248 Years Ago Today." The Carolina Journal, 12 Apr. 2024, https://www.carolinajournal.com/first-in-freedom-halifax-resolves-adopted-248-years-ago-today/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.