Regulator Movement facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Regulator Movement
Governor Tryon and the Regulators; engraving by A. Bollet Co.
Date 1766 – 1771 Location Central North Carolina Result North Carolina provincial victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Great Britain	Regulators
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of Great Britain William Tryon Hugh Waddell	Regulators Herman Husband Benjamin Merrill (POW)
Strength
1,500	~2,300

The Regulator Movement was a big uprising in North Carolina from 1766 to 1771. During this time, citizens fought against colonial officials. They believed these officials were unfair and corrupt.

Some historians think this rebellion helped start the American Revolutionary War. Others believe the Regulators just wanted a fairer government. They wanted better economic conditions for everyone. The old system mostly helped rich officials and plantation owners near the coast.

Why the Rebellion Started

More People and New Settlers

In the 1760s, North and South Carolina grew a lot. Many colonists moved west from eastern cities. They hoped to find more opportunities in the countryside. The inland areas used to be mostly farms. But then, merchants and lawyers started moving in. This changed the social and political setup. New Scots-Irish immigrants also settled in the backcountry.

Money Problems for Farmers

At the same time, farmers in the inland areas faced tough economic times. There were severe droughts for many years. Farmers lost their crops, which meant less food and less money. Many farmers fell into debt. Merchants relied on lawyers and courts to settle money disputes.

Court cases about debt became very common. In Orange County, North Carolina, these cases grew from 7 a year to 111 in just ten years.

Unfair Government and Officials

Farmers often lost their homes and land because of these court cases. They started to dislike the new people. The changes led to an unfair system in the courts. New, well-educated lawyers sometimes used their knowledge unfairly.

A small group of rich officials controlled the legal system. This group was called a "courthouse ring." They held most of the political power. Local sheriffs, who collected taxes, also supported this unfair system. Many officials were seen as "unjust and dishonest." They used their positions to get richer.

One early protest was the Nutbush Address in 1765. George Sims gave this speech. He protested against officials and the high fees they charged. This protest helped lead to the Regulator Movement.

Regulators Get Organized

By 1764, thousands of people in North Carolina were unhappy. They were mostly from western counties like Orange and Granville. They thought the rich officials were cruel and corrupt. When Royal Governor William Tryon arrived in 1765, things got even worse.

Many officials were greedy. They often worked together for their own gain. The whole system depended on honest local officials. But many were not honest. They took extra money from taxes. Governor Tryon supported this system. He feared losing the support of these officials.

The movement to change this system was called the Regulator Uprising. It was a fight between mostly lower-class citizens and the rich elite. The rich elite made up only 5% of the population. But they controlled almost all of the government.

The Regulators wanted an honest government. They also wanted lower taxes. The rich politicians saw this as a threat. They used the militia to stop the rebellion. They also hanged its leaders. It's thought that 6,000 to 7,000 people in Orange County supported the Regulators.

Regulator Leaders

Herman Husband became an important leader of the Regulators. He was a Quaker from Maryland. Husband wanted to get support from eastern North Carolina. But these areas were not as affected by the problems. Husband had little control over the Regulators. They often acted with minor violence, which went against his plans.

Another leader was James Hunter. He refused to lead the Regulators before the Battle of Alamance. Captain Benjamin Merrill had about 300 men. He would have taken military command. But he could not fight in the Battle of Alamance.

Against the Regulators

Governor Arthur Dobbs was the Royal Governor until he died in 1765. William Tryon took his place. Tryon had a very expensive home built in New Bern in 1770. The Regulators disliked this. They were already paying high taxes. William Butler, a Regulator, said they would not pay the tax for the governor's house.

Governor Josiah Martin became governor after Tryon. He helped former Regulators rejoin society. He made things easier for them.

Edmund Fanning was a main opponent of the Regulators. He was a Yale College graduate. His friends saw him as strong and disciplined. He held many political jobs in Orange County. He was once found guilty of taking money. But he was only fined a small amount.

Key Events

Breaking Up the Court

North Carolina's colonial court met in Hillsborough. In 1768, Regulators entered the court. They broke it up. They dragged officials they saw as corrupt through the streets. The mob tried to make the judge hear cases against Regulator leaders.

The judge, Richard Henderson, quickly ended court for the day. He escaped that night. The Regulators then rioted. They destroyed public and private property. Fanning was among the lawyers who were beaten. The courthouse was damaged. They also destroyed shops and property in the town. They ruined Fanning's home. Henderson's barn, stables, and home were burned down. They cracked the church bell but did not loot the church.

Important Documents

Several papers and requests were passed around. They aimed to end high taxes and other problems. Many important people signed the Regulator Advertisement and the Regulator Petition. These documents listed the Regulators' concerns. The terms Regulation and Regulator first appeared in the Regulator Advertisement in 1768.

Battle of Alamance

Small acts of violence happened for some time. But the first organized fight was in Mecklenburg County in 1765. Settlers there, who were living illegally, forced away land surveyors. Minor clashes continued for years. But the only real battle of the war was the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771.

Governor Tryon and his forces, about 1,000 men, arrived in Hillsborough on May 9, 1771. General Hugh Waddell, supporting the governor, was on his way with 236 men. He met a large group of Regulators led by Captain Benjamin Merrill. Waddell realized he was outnumbered. He went back to Salisbury.

Two days later, Tryon heard about Waddell's retreat. He sent forces to help Waddell. He chose a path through Regulator territory. He ordered his men not to loot or damage anything. By May 14, 1771, his troops reached Alamance and set up camp. He left about 70 men to guard the camp. He took the rest, almost 1,000 men, to find the Regulators.

About 10 miles (16 km) away, around 2,000 Regulators were gathered. Some say there were 6,000. They had no clear leaders or supplies. They mostly wanted to show their strength to the governor. Their plan was to scare him into meeting their demands.

The first clash was on May 15, 1771. A small group of Regulators captured two of the governor's soldiers. Governor Tryon told the Regulators they were rebelling. He warned them to leave. The Regulators did not understand how serious the situation was. They ignored the warning.

Despite his own men's doubts, Governor Tryon started the main battle. This was on May 16, 1771. He reportedly shot Robert Thompson, who was the first to die. The Regulators' fight soon fell apart. The battle ended with nine deaths for the governor's forces. The Regulators had about the same number of deaths.

Almost everyone captured was pardoned. They had to promise loyalty to the king. But six Regulators were hanged for their part in the uprising. This included some officers who had joined the Regulators. These were Captain Robert Messer, Captain Benjamin Merrill, and Captain Robert Matear.

What Happened Next

After the battle, Tryon's army traveled through Regulator areas. He made Regulators and their supporters sign loyalty oaths. He also destroyed the properties of the most active Regulators. He raised taxes to pay for his army's victory.

Right after the battle, many people were against the Regulators. They were seen as "lawless." Governor Tryon was praised for stopping the rebellion. News spread about his victory. Tryon was called a hero for defeating the larger Regulator group.

But as time passed, many news reporters, especially in Boston, started asking questions. They looked into why the rebellion happened. They found reasons to see the defeat of the Regulators as an act of an unfair government. People especially disliked how Tryon won the battle. They did not like that he used a riot act and executed leaders. Reports also said that Tryon's side did not follow rules during the battle. They reportedly gave farmers a two-hour warning before the battle. But then they broke that agreement and attacked with cannons.

Many main leaders stayed hidden until 1772. Then, they were no longer considered outlaws. Many Regulators moved further west. They went to places like Tennessee. They helped start the Watauga Association in 1772 and the State of Franklin in 1784.

Regulation in South Carolina

At the same time, South Carolina also had a group called Regulators. But their goals were very different. These Regulators were also farmers and landowners. They had complaints against officials. But their main problems were a lack of government services. They needed courts and churches.

These South Carolina Regulators fought against local groups of "hunters" and bandits. The South Carolina regulation helped start the Revolutionary War. People felt that the distant British government was too slow to help them.

The South Carolina Regulators formed in the mid-1760s. They were active from 1767 to 1769. In earlier years, the frontier population had grown a lot. Governor Robert Johnson had encouraged farmers to move to the frontier. This created a buffer against Cherokee attacks. The number of enslaved people also grew as plantations got bigger.

During this time, settlers in South Carolina's frontier faced more violent crimes. This included organized bandit raids. The Cherokee war of 1760-1761 left many settlers without homes. Native raids sometimes led to children being left alone. To feed their families, men went hunting. In those days, hunting was not seen as a good job. Hunters were called vagrants and outlaws. They were blamed for stealing livestock.

Their "fire hunting" method used fire to blind deer at night. Sometimes, they mistook farm animals for wild game. They left animal bodies, which attracted wolves near towns. Hunting also went into the land of the Creek Indians. This made their relationship with colonists worse. The bandits grew to about 200 people. They even attacked judges. They included free Black people, runaway enslaved people, and other outlaws. Some bandits were even established farmers.

In South Carolina, "regulators" were not rebels. They were a vigilante group of rich men. They worked with their colonial government. The South Carolina Regulators were a much smaller group. There were 100 known Regulators. Many became judges or militia leaders. Many owned enslaved people.

Their main goal was to protect themselves and their property from bandits. Their second goal was to get courts, churches, and schools in their growing communities. The only court was in Charleston. All legal papers had to go through it. The inland settlers had the sympathy of the coastal elite. But a law to set up jails, courts, and sheriffs was held up. This was due to a disagreement with the Parliament of Great Britain.

The South Carolina regulation movement was very successful. Their ideas were written down by a missionary named Rev. Charles Woodmason. The colonial government passed laws that met the needs of the frontier landowners. These laws restricted hunters. They forbade them from going onto Native lands.

A new law in 1769 also banned fire hunting. This led to many hunters being whipped and forced to leave the area. In 1768, the Charleston grand jury pushed for new schools in the backcountry. In 1769, the circuit court act was passed. This created new courthouses and jails. It also set up four new judicial districts. The cooperation between frontier and coastal colonists worked so well. By 1771, Governor Charles Montague pardoned all actions taken by the Regulators in his state.

In Popular Culture

• The Regulators are important characters in Jimmy Carter's historical novel The Hornet's Nest (2003).
• Diana Gabaldon features the Battle of Alamance in her historical time-travel novel The Fiery Cross. This is the fifth book in the Outlander series. The battle was also shown in Season 5, Episode 7 of Outlander (TV series).

Images for kids

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  Governor Tryon and the Regulators; engraving by A. Bollet Co.