The Regulators Of North Caroli

The Regulators of North Carolina: Outraged Opressors

The history of colonial North Carolina is bombarded with frequent strife and

turmoil. The people of North Carolina, because of a lack in supervision from

the British monarchy, learned to possess an independent spirit. The colony remained

isolated from the rest of the country because of several geographical

conditions such as poor harbors, the abscence of navigable rivers, numerous

swamps, and bad road conditions. Due to these conditions, communities

throughout North Carolina became widely seperated. The colony was initially

set up by the Lords Proprietors, an English founding company that helped

finance early American exploration. When North Carolina was freed from

British proprietorship, the Granville family, descendants from the original

Lords Proprietors, con-tinued to hold their land rights. This area, which

became known as the "Granville District," was the scene of many disputes over

land grants, taxes, British support, and a great deal of lesser issues.

Settlers in the back country (Piedmont) felt particularly oppressed by the laws

drawn up by an assembly largely composed of eastern landowners. "Local"

officials in many counties, particularly in the western segment of the back

country were not local men at all, but friends of the royal governor, William

Tryon. These so-called "friends" often collected higher fees than authorized

by the law while obtaining tax money or divided a single service into many

services and charged fees for each. Lawyers who followed the judges around

the colony also fell into the same habit.

The citizens of Anson, Orange, and Granville counties were the first to make

themselves heard. In 1764, this band of citizens, referred to as the "mob," created a

number of local disturbances until Governor Arthur Dobbs passed a proclomation

forbidding the collection of illegal fees, the practice that the people complained of the

most. Their protests were calmed only temporarily. However, the efects of the new

law wore off soon enough and sheriffs and other county officers returned to

their old dishonest practices. Citizens complained largely in part because

money was so scarce; local trading was almost limited to barter. Often,

property was seized and resold, and citizens felt that their property was

being sold to a friend of an official for much less than its true value (1).

People among the Granville District were anxious to revolt and needed only a

leader to provide the spark that led to the fire of the War of Regulation. A

man named Hermon Husband became actively involved and was referred to as a

leader several times, despite the fact that he was often nothing more than an

agitator. Husband reprinted patriotic flyers with messages dealing with

taxation withour representation hoping that citizens would call for reform.

However, at no time during the Regulation was there an actual leader (2).

Orange County was an early center of Regulator activity. Colonel Edmund

Fanning, holder of numerous offices in the county including the prominent Clerk

of the Recorder's Court at Hillsborough, became a prime target along with

Royal Governor William Tryon, who took office in 1765. Tryon was hated

because he aimed to use taxes to build Tryon Palace in New Bern, a very

costly residence for himself, as well as the seat for the colony's

government. The Regulators, "who named themselves after a group of country

reformists in South Carolina (3)" shortly after Tryon's announcement to build

the palace, had no sympathy with the governor's desire for a fancy residence.

The War of Regulation was not limited to Orange County. Outbreaks of

violence during the collection of taxes in Anson County and several riots

throughout the Granville District were sure signs of what was to come.

A group of men, apparently enthusiastic over the success of the Sons of

Liberty in resisting the Stamp Act, called citizens together to determine

whether they were being treated justly or not. Edmund Fanning denounced this

meeting. Little was accomplished at the meeting, but this is where the

Regulators proclaimed themselves as a radical political group (4).

Minor oppositions continued to occur until the spring of 1768 when the sheriff of

Orange County announced he would be collecting taxes at certain areas of the

colony only, and if colonists did not pay at these particular locations a

charge would be incurred. This occured at about the same time Tryon gave

word about the construction of Tryon Palace. This was very inconvenient for

the sttlers for two reasons. The widely scattered population made it

difficult to arrive at these tax stations. Lack of money was also a concern.

Opposition to these moves influenced people to join the Regulator

association. The Regulators declared their purpose in a proclamation soon

after claiming they would: "assemble ourselves for conference for regulating

public grievances and abuses of power, in the following particulars...that

may occur: (1) We will pay no more taxes until we are satisfied that they are

agreeable to law, and applied to the purposes therein mentioned, unless we

cannot help it, or are forced. (2) We will pay no officer any more fees than

the law allows, unless we are obliged to do it, and then show our dislike and

bear open testimony against it. (3) We will attend all of our meetings as often as we

conveniently can... (4) We will contribute to collections for defraying the necessary

expenses attending the work, according to our abilities. (5) In case of

differences in judgement, we will submit to the judgement of the majority of

our body. (5)" The Regulators also did not allow drinking of alcohol at

their meetings because they knew that different opinions could result in an

internal clash.

At an unfortunate moment with feeling between the two opposing sides at

a peak, officials in Hillsborough seized a Regulator's horse, saddle, and

bridle and sold them for taxes. Outraged, a band of Regulators rode into

Hillsborough, rescued the horse, and before leaving town, fired several shots

into Edmund Fanning's house. Fanning, who was in court in Halifax,

immediately ordered the arrest of three Regulators who played a big role in

the Hillsborough horse incident, William Butler, Peter Craven, and Ninian

Bell Hamilton. Citizens of Orange County were very sympathetic with the

Regulators. Hermon Husband was chosen as one of two delegates to meet with

officials to discuss the incident. Before the meeting could be held, Fanning

gathered a handful of armed men and assisted the sheriff in arresting William

Butler and Hermon Husband. The two men were charged with inciting the people

to rebellion and were confined in the Hillsborough jail.

Enraged by the officers, the following morning seven hundred men, some of

whom were not Regulators, went to Hillsborough to rescue the prisoners.

County officials, becoming alarmed, released the prisoners in time to speed

them away to meet the approaching mob of men. The governor's secretary

informed the protestors that Governor Tryon would receive their petition to

investigate conditions in Orange County and would see that they received fair

treatment at the hands of county officials. Due to this incident, support for

the Regulation movement spread (6).

The Regulators pursued their purpose with tremendous force. They often

broke into courts of justice, drove judges from the bench and set up mock trials.

They dragged unoffending attorneys through the streets almost until death

and publicly assaulted peaceful citizens who refused to express public

sympathy for the Regulation. In September, 1770, Judge Richard Henderson was

presiding over the ...

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