Gideon Gibson Jr. facts for kids

Gideon Gibson Jr. (born 1731, died 1792) was a free man of color in the South Carolina colony. This meant he was a person of mixed race who was not enslaved. He owned land and enslaved people. He also became a "Regulator" in the backcountry. Regulators were groups of people who took action to oppose unfair rules, like British taxes.

Gideon Gibson Jr. was an example of how some mixed-race people became successful. Over time, his family moved into white society. In 2011, he was mentioned in the New York Times as an ancestor of Randall Lee Gibson. Randall Lee Gibson was a planter and a general during the American Civil War.

Fighting for Freedom

The British government tried to make colonists pay new taxes, like the Stamp Act in 1764. This act put a tax on many printed materials. People in the American colonies were very unhappy about these taxes. They felt it was unfair to be taxed without having a say in the British government. This idea was called "taxation without representation."

The colony of Massachusetts was one of the first to speak out against the Stamp Act. They asked other colonies to send representatives to a meeting in New York. South Carolina was the first colony to agree to this idea. This helped bring the colonies closer together, even though many were still unsure about standing up to Britain.

The Regulator Movement

In the backcountry of South Carolina, people like Gideon Gibson Jr. were upset. They felt the colonial government in Charlestown wasn't listening to their problems. They wanted fair courts and a say in how they were governed. When their requests were ignored, it helped start the American Revolution.

By 1771, many colonists were ready to reject British rule completely. They were tired of the taxes and the British government's control.

Governor Montagu and the Revolution

The British governor of South Carolina, Lord Charles Montagu, tried to enforce the Stamp Act. This made him very unpopular with the colonists. He tried to gain favor by offering pardons to some of the Regulators. By 1771, he offered a full pardon for most Regulator actions in South Carolina. However, he specifically did not pardon Gideon Gibson Jr. and his followers.

During the American Revolution, Governor Montagu was called back to Britain.

Enslaved People and the War

Gideon Gibson Jr. was a planter and owned enslaved people. During the American Revolution, the British offered freedom to enslaved people who left their rebel owners and joined the British side. This offer was known as Dunmore's Proclamation. It was one of the first times in North American history that a large group of enslaved people were offered freedom.

Because of this offer, some Regulators from both North and South Carolina decided not to fight in the war. They did not want their enslaved workers to leave and join the British.