Culpeper's Rebellion facts for kids
Culpeper's Rebellion was a big protest in 1677. It happened because people were upset about new trade laws called the Navigation Acts. A settler named John Culpeper led the protest. It was against the powerful Lords Proprietors who owned the Carolina colony. This happened in Albemarle County, near what is now Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The protest didn't completely change things right away. But John Culpeper was found innocent of rebelling and became a local hero. After this, the Lords Proprietors tried harder to make the colony's government stronger.
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Why Did Culpeper's Rebellion Happen?
The Lords Proprietors had big plans for Carolina. But they didn't set up a strong government, especially in what is now North Carolina. Settlers in Albemarle were spread out. Travel was hard because of swamps and rivers. Big ships couldn't use the shallow inlets and sounds.
The people living there in the 1660s didn't want to be ruled by the Lords Proprietors. Because of these problems, the lords chose weak governors. Some governors even used the messy situation to get rich. They didn't keep order or protect settlers from attacks. These attacks came from the native Weapemeoc people or from pirates.
In this difficult situation, a fight between settlers and rulers was likely. The conflict that started was Culpeper’s Rebellion. Like many protests, it began over taxes.
The English government wanted its American colonies to make money. This was the main reason for having colonies. The economic idea at the time was called mercantilism. It meant a country should sell as much as possible. It should buy as little as possible. This way, it would collect lots of money, like gold and silver.
So, colonies were supposed to send only raw materials to England. England would then turn these into more expensive finished goods. England would then sell these goods to other countries or back to the colonies. For example, American colonies sent wood, but England made furniture. They sent tobacco, but England made tools. Making finished goods was England's job. Taxes were collected at every step of this trade.
To make these ideas work, England passed laws called the Navigation Acts. These laws controlled trade in the English colonial empire. Under these laws, colonial goods could only travel on English ships. Also, all European goods going to English colonies had to stop in England first. Of course, when goods passed through English ports, they were taxed.
Certain colonial goods, like tobacco and rice, could only be sent to England. They couldn't even go to other English colonies without paying a tax first.
Taxes and Unhappiness in Albemarle
The original plan for Carolina said that settlers didn't have to pay export taxes on goods like tobacco. This was true for seven years. But in 1670, that special rule ended. The Navigation Acts then fully applied to Carolina.
The people in Albemarle were very unhappy with these acts. They depended on tobacco to make money. Albemarle didn't have a good deep-water port. So, they sold much of their tobacco to traders from New England. These traders had small ships that could get through the narrow inlets. The settlers felt the new tax was very unfair.
To make things worse, the taxes came after several years of bad harvests. There had been big hurricanes, dry weather, and heavy rains. Settlers also complained about the "quitrents" they paid for their land. These were higher than in nearby colonies.
In 1672, the Albemarle Assembly sent Governor Peter Carteret to England. They asked the Lords Proprietors not to collect the Navigation Act taxes. But the lords said no. They were afraid their special charter might be taken away if they didn't enforce the laws.
A New Governor and Collector
A new governor, John Jenkins, appointed Valentine Bird to collect the colony’s export taxes. But Jenkins didn't really plan to enforce the laws. Two men who supported the Lords Proprietors, Thomas Eastchurch and Thomas Miller, complained. Miller was put in jail for treason. But he escaped and went to England with Eastchurch. They told the lords what was happening. The lords then made Eastchurch the new governor and Miller the customs collector.
Thomas Miller took his job as customs collector very seriously. He collected taxes and also took goods that were imported illegally. He also gave out fines. When Eastchurch was delayed in England, Miller made himself the temporary governor. He used this power to mess with elections. He also put his opponents in jail. One of them was George Durant, an important settler who had lived in Albemarle since before 1663. Miller even traveled with armed guards to protect himself or to show his power.
The Revolt Begins
In 1677, about 40 men who were against the Lords Proprietors decided to remove Miller from office. Their leaders were Durant, Valentine Bird, and John Culpeper. Culpeper had been forced to leave Charles Town before. One historian said he "had the reputation of a troublemaker who enjoyed a good fight."
The men armed themselves. They arrested Miller and other officials. Then, they took control of the government.
The rebels held new elections for an assembly. This assembly met at Durant’s house. They acted as the colony’s government. They put Miller on trial, found him guilty, and put him in prison. They also warned Thomas Eastchurch, who had just arrived in Virginia, to stay away.
Miller escaped from jail again. He went to England to report to the Lords Proprietors. Culpeper followed him to tell his side of the story. The English government started an investigation. Culpeper was put on trial for rebellion.
However, the Lords Proprietors wanted to keep the matter quiet. Lord Shaftesbury, one of the lords, defended Culpeper. He argued that the colony didn't have a proper government. He said the settlers had a right to protest against the unfair actions of Miller and Eastchurch. Culpeper was found innocent. He returned home to Albemarle as a hero.
John Culpeper was born in 1644 in Albemarle, New Hanover Precinct. He died in 1692 in Pasquotank Precinct. His family had many children who lived in the area. His great-great-great-nephew John Culpepper (1761–1841) later became a Congressional Representative for the region.
What Happened After Culpeper's Rebellion?
After Culpeper’s Rebellion, the Lords Proprietors tried harder to control the colony. They appointed a new governor, Seth Sothel. Sothel was a lord himself. He had bought Edward Hyde’s share of the colony. But on his way to America, Sothel was captured by Turkish pirates.
While Sothel was gone, George Durant governed the colony. He didn't have the official title of governor. Durant brought back order. He pardoned the rebels and collected the customs duties.
When Sothel finally arrived in North Carolina in 1683, he was very corrupt. The assembly removed him from office and made him leave the colony. After more problems and another protest, Philip Ludwell became governor of all of Carolina in 1691.
The lords told Ludwell to make the government simpler. They wanted him to follow the original charter instead of their complicated "Fundamental Constitutions." Ludwell appointed people who had lived in Albemarle for a long time to govern that area as his helpers. Finally, with peace and stability, the colony of North Carolina could start to grow. A larger uprising called Cary's Rebellion would happen later.
