Cary's Rebellion facts for kids
Cary's Rebellion (also called the Cary Rebellion) was an uprising in North Carolina in 1711. It was led by Thomas Cary. He refused to give up his job as Deputy Governor to Edward Hyde. This rebellion was part of a long disagreement between different religious and political groups in northern Carolina. These groups were generally split between the Quaker party, which Cary supported, and the Church of England party, which Hyde belonged to.
Why the Trouble Started
Back then, the Province of Carolina was one big area. It stretched from Spanish Florida all the way to Colony of Virginia. But it was very hard to travel between the northern parts and the main government in Charleston. So, a special deputy governor was chosen for the northern section. This person could make many decisions on their own.
Early in its history, Carolina allowed people to practice any religion they wanted. This made it a good place for Quakers. Quakers were treated badly in England and other colonies. George Fox, who started the Quaker religion, visited northern Carolina in 1672. Over the years, Quakerism grew strong there. Quakers even held important government jobs. For example, John Archdale, a Quaker, became Governor of Carolina in 1694.
Later, in 1699, Henderson Walker became Deputy Governor of North Carolina. He was a strong Anglican (Church of England member). He made new rules that made the Church of England the official religion. He also passed a law called the Vestry Act. This law made everyone pay a tax to support the official church, no matter their own faith.
When Queen Anne became queen, all colonial officers had to renew their promises of loyalty. Quakers do not swear oaths because of their beliefs. They had always shown their loyalty in other ways. But this time, their way was not allowed. So, all Quakers lost their government jobs. Over the next ten years, the difference between the Quaker party and the Church party grew much stronger.
Cary's Time as Governor
Thomas Cary was the stepson of the former Quaker Governor, John Archdale. But when Cary first became Deputy Governor of North Carolina, he supported the Church party. He continued to keep Quakers out of government by making them take oaths.
The Quakers and some unhappy Anglicans sent someone to complain to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina in England. These were the people who owned the colony. They removed Cary from his job. After Cary went back to South Carolina, William Glover took over as Acting Deputy Governor. But he also kept the oath rule.
In 1707, Cary came back. This time, he supported the Quakers against Glover. He also supported the town of Bath against the government in the Albemarle Settlements area (near today's Edenton). In 1708, Cary and his supporters managed to win an election. They forced Glover out. Glover then ran away to Virginia.
Cary removed the oath rule and gave Quakers their government jobs back. So, from 1708 to 1710, Cary and the Quakers were in charge of the government. Cary also lowered the "quit-rents" for Bath County. These were like land taxes paid for royal land grants. However, Cary's government was not officially approved by the Lords Proprietors. This meant it had no real legal power.
The Rebellion Begins
"Cary's Rebellion" usually refers to the time in 1711. This was after the Lords Proprietors chose Edward Hyde to be the new Deputy Governor. Cary refused to let Hyde take over. Hyde arrived in North Carolina in January 1711. He had letters from the Lords Proprietors. He was supposed to get his full, official approval from the Governor of Carolina. But the governor had died before Hyde arrived. So, Hyde's claim to be Deputy Governor was not fully official.
Even so, Cary and the Quaker party were at first willing to let Hyde take over. But then Hyde clearly started to support the Anglican party. So, Cary refused to recognize Hyde. Cary said Hyde needed to show his official approval. Cary claimed he was still the legal governor.
Hyde declared that Cary was openly rebelling. He gathered about 150 armed men. They went to Bath to arrest Cary. Cary ran away from his home to a nearby plantation. This place was fortified with cannons and had dozens of Cary's supporters. On May 29, Hyde tried to reach an agreement with Cary but failed. Hyde decided to attack the fortified plantation. But he and his men were forced back after a short fight.
Cary then gathered a larger force. He armed a small ship called a brigantine with several cannons. He set off to attack Hyde's fortified plantation. On June 30, Cary's attack failed. The mast of his ship was shot, and his men ran away. Cary regrouped and fortified a small island in the Pamlico Sound. He began to rearm his followers. They then sailed to mainland Carolina and met Hyde's force face to face. A fierce battle broke out.
We don't know many details about this battle. Quakers are generally pacifists, meaning they believe in peace and do not fight. So, it's unlikely that many Quakers took part in the violence themselves. Instead, Cary's force was probably made up of men from Bath County and other non-Quaker dissenters.
Governor Alexander Spottswood of Virginia decided to help Hyde. He started to organize a local army. He also sent some Royal Marines who were stationed nearby. These Marines arrived in mid-July. With this organized military force, which represented the official power of the king, Cary's forces broke up. Cary himself ran away. He was arrested and sent to England for trial. He was released after a year. He then returned to Bath and lived there without causing any more trouble.
What Happened Next
During the years from 1708 to 1711, the fighting over who was in charge made the colonists in North Carolina very weak. The Tuscarora War began in September 1711. The confusion and disagreements from Cary's Rebellion made it harder for the colonists to fight back. A drought and a yellow fever sickness also made things worse.
Cary's Rebellion also marked the end of Quakers' role in North Carolina's government. After the rebellion, they were mostly kept out of politics.
