Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress facts for kids

Richard Caswell

The Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress was a very important meeting in North Carolina's history. It was the last of five special groups that met starting in 1774. These groups were like temporary governments. They helped North Carolina become a state during the American Revolution.

These congresses created a government, printed money to pay for their work, and organized an army to protect the state. They also wrote a constitution and a bill of rights. These documents set up the state of North Carolina. In this Fifth Congress, they even chose their first acting governor. The Fifth Congress met in Halifax, North Carolina from November 12 to December 23, 1776. Richard Caswell was the president, and Cornelius Harnett was the vice-president.

What They Accomplished

This congress made some really big decisions for North Carolina.

Creating the State's Rules

On December 18, 1776, they approved the first Constitution of North Carolina. This was like the rulebook for how the new state would be run. They also approved a "Declaration of Rights." This document listed the important freedoms and rights of the people in North Carolina.

Choosing a Leader

The congress elected Richard Caswell to be the acting governor. He would lead the state until the first official General Assembly could meet in 1777 and elect a permanent governor.

Building an Army

A big part of their work was about defense. They spent a lot of time planning to create a militia of 5,000 men. A militia is a group of citizens who can be called upon to act as soldiers. This was important for protecting the new state during the war. They also talked about the Cherokee War, which was happening in the western part of the state.

Delegates Who Served

Many important people from different parts of North Carolina came together for this congress. Each county was allowed to send five representatives, called delegates. Some counties sent four delegates. Also, nine special districts or larger towns could send one delegate each. These districts were the bigger population centers. This idea of district representation came from the time when North Carolina was a colony. Even Washington District, in the western part of the state, sent four delegates.

Images for kids

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  James Kenan

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  Allen Jones

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  William Hooper

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  John Sevier

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  Joseph Hewes

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  Abner Nash

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  Willie Jones

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  Thomas Amis