The History of Independence in North Carolina | Hour 1

What's going on. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, I daily show prep with all of the links, become a patron, go to thepeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your smartphone or tablet, And again, thank you so much for your support. There's obviously a lot going on, not only across this state of North Carolina, with a new budget announced this week, and the nation as we approach the July fourth holiday, the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary here of the United States. And I want to pick up on a conversation that Pete was having a yesterday on the program as it relates to the black pilling that is going on most predominantly within America's youth. It's this very negative, very sour attitude dude on the United States of America. It's full blown negativity on the nation. Some of it is a you know, I guess part of it has got everything to do with some of the political stuff that is going on right now. That can absolutely factor into some of it. But I think in larger part it's truly just a lack of knowledge and a lack of understanding of history. I mean, we have got it so incredibly good right now. That does not mean that we aren't without problems. That does not mean that folks are not without hardships or heartache or loss in their life. That's not what I mean by that at all. But in the grand scheme of everything, we're very comfortable. I am sitting in my climate controlled studio, which is temperature set well below seventy eight degrees, talking to you on this Friday leading into the July the fourth holiday. It doesn't get more comfortable than this, And I'm not talking about the air temperature, talking about the style of life comfortable. It's not without problems, it's not without frustration, it's not without issues, but it's comfortable. And I think that is what leads into some of this negativity, some of this very negative attitude that exists here in the United States of America, because there's a true lack of understanding as to how we got here, how we got to this period of time where if I decided right now that I wanted some food in the commercial break, I can load up an app on my phone and have something sitting on my doorstep in fifteen or twenty minutes. That's as comfortable as it gets. It does not get more comfortable than that. And I think you can look at and in part, our public education system for putting individuals in this position, putting individuals in the spot where they don't really have an understanding as to how we got here, the hardships that even prior to the United States, that we dealt with as a as a group of individuals, as a group of people before officially declaring our independence on July the fourth, seventeen seventy six. And one of the most amazing things about all of this is the pivotal role that North Carolina played in the freedom of what would become the United States of America, starting with the Thirteen Colonies. I mean, have you ever looked at a North Carolina flag? I know everybody has seen one, but there's two dates on there, both of those dates before July the fourth, seventeen seventy six. The first date May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five. The second date April twelfth, seventeen seventy six, same year, but months before we'd get to July the fourth. Both of those dates coincide with the Mecklenburg Declaration, which was signed allegedly there's some question over the authenticity of the document, but allegedly signed on May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five. And then the Halifax Resolves, signed in Halifax back on April the twelfth, seventeen seventy six, months before the Declaration of Independence would be officially codified by Congress. Those dates are important. The history here in North Carolina is incredibly important, and as we go through the next three hours, we'll be talking about some of that history, some of the rich history that we have here in North Carolina, and then kind of translate that and parlay that into some of the very negative attitude that exists right now across the nation. I've got a story looking at the most recent Gallup poll that showed that only thirty three percent of Americans say that they are extremely proud to be in this nation. According to Gallup, it's the lowest share that say that they are extremely proud since Gallup began asking that question back in two thousand and one and far below a peak seventy percent recorded in two thousand and three, twenty three years ago. Less than thirty or just at thirty three percent of individuals say that they are extremely proud to be an American. That's miserable, that is an That is an awful number to see. It's an awful percentage to have. And so we're gonna kind of walk through some of the history, talk about what's going on right now. Love to hear your thoughts as well. At seven oh four five, seven oh one, oh seven nine as we work through the program on this Friday leading into the July the fourth weekend. So let's start off with this first date, This May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence would be dealt with within the Continental Congress. The the Mecklenburg Declaration, obviously now referring to common day Mecklenburg County, is a very interesting piece of history, a very interesting piece of history. It was a short, again allegedly but powerful document. It was a formal statement of independence. Sounds like a little bit like the Declaration that would be signed. It said in part that we the citizens of Mecklenburg County do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us with the mother country, and absolve ourselves from the allegiance to our British Crown, dealing with all political connections with a nation that has trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of Americans at Lexington, referring to, of course, the big Battle of Lexington and Concord. And so those are some of the words written and some of the words laid out in this Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence back in early seventeen seventy five. Now that again, there's some controversy around this. The document wasn't published or discovered until the early eighteen hundreds, some folks indicate, in some historians there's a pretty big break there as to whether this was something written after the declaration of independence something written before. So there's a little bit of controversy. But what did happen? Eleven days later, on May the thirty first, seventeen seventy five, the Mecklenburg Resolves were filed, and those there is one hundred percent guarantee that was the date in which that took place. The May The thirty first Resolves started by saying that in a recent address to Parliament, the King noted, quote, the American colonies are declared to be in an actual state of rebellion. Therefore, this resolve continues that the laws of the British government are annulled and vacated, and the formal civil constitution of these colonies for the present wholly suspended. The statement called on all American colonies to start their own governments, and it laid out just how one county in North Carolina would be run in absence of British government and British control for about the Mecklenburg. For these Mecklenburg Resolves, they identified the county itself as a legislative and executive branch. It set up a military organization and identified a plan to appoint judges and constables, and it directed that all taxes go to committees authorizing the resolves for safekeeping and usage. By calling on the colonies to start their own government and taking concrete steps to put their country on a wartime footing, the Mecklenburg County Resolves were one of the very first statements throughout the colonial the colonies declaring independence even though it left open the possibility that Parliament would quote resign its unjust and arbitrary ways respected to America that is as rich of history as it gets. Sometime either May the twentieth, May the first of seventeen seventy five. That's why driving around you may see some license plates here in North Carolina. Most say first in flight, but there are plenty around that also say first in freedom, which is a very accurate statement used to describe North Carolina. May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five and April the twelfth, seventeen seventy six. All right, For over a year now you've heard me talking about Create a video. Great local company in mint Hill that has helped more than two million families preserve their memories by turning old photos, VHS tapes, film reels, and slides into lasting keepsakes. Now creative videos helping families and groups create brand new memories while they're traveling. Introducing group travel videos perfect for family reunions, church mission trips, group vacations, destination weddings, student trips, senior adult groups, sports teams. I mean, really, any gathering of people that you care about that's traveling together. Group Travel Videos gives your traveling pack a private app where everyone can share photos during the trip, send messages, share schedules and important documents. Even a traveler safety locator feature that works only during the trip, and family members and friends back home can follow along and enjoy the experience in real time. No social media, no ads, It's totally private. No emails, phone numbers, account setups or hassles. With Group travel Videos, you'll capture today's moments on your special trip while they're happening. Then after the trip we're gathering, they'll professionally turn your shared moments into a beautiful storytelling video that your whole group can stream and download and treasure for years. Check out Group travel Videos dot com. That's Group travel Videos dot com. Or call seven oh four eight four six seventy eight seventy extension two o six. And when you do that, ask for Katie. But Pete, can I just email? Well, yes you can. You can email Katie Katie at group travel videos dot com. Group travel videos from old memories to new adventures, preserving life's moments for a lifetime. We're talking a little bit about the founding of the nation as we approach two hundred and fifty years some of the very negative attitude that exists right now about the United States of America. Pete talked about this on the show yesterday, talking about the black pilling of the American population, something that tends to probably be a little bit more prominent, especially with younger individuals, as they have been told, in large part by a lot of individuals, that they're never going to be able to get ahead, they're never going to be able to own a house, they're never going to have a job that satisfies them, that's too expensive to have kids. You know, all of this stuff kind of beaten into their minds and it leads them to having and I'm not necessarily faulting those individuals, but it can lead many of those folks to have this awful, negative, terrible mindset about the future. It's why the term in the phrase doomer is used the way that it is. It is people that feel like they are perpetually doomed. And it's so fascinating when you look back at what the nation has been through over and it's more than two hundred and fifty years, probably two hundred and sixty sixty five years since obviously America not existing before that, but all of the events that led up to July the fourth, seventeen seventy six. You look at what was going on in those periods of time, you look at some of the real hardship that was going on. And that's not to say that people now aren't struggling and dealing with problems and issues. Absolutely that's the case. But you compare and contrast that to what was going on then more than two hundred and fifty years ago, compared to what's going on now, and it's an apple's an orange comparison. It's not even on the same playing field. And so we're talking a little bit about North Carolina's very rich history as it relates to the founding of our nation. There's two dates on the North Carolina state flag, May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five, which corresponds and correlates with the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence also known as the mech Deck, which there is some debate in the historical community whether that date is accurate or not, or if it came years later. But one thing that is true and is guaranteed is the Mecklenburg Resolves. May the first seventeen seventy five that were published in newspapers and was a very anti British document that was published in now modern day Mecklenburg County. That second date, April twelfth, seventeen seventy six months ahead of July, corresponds with the Halifax Resolves, which was North Carolina's strongest and undisputed claim to its first in freedom name. The fourth Provincial Congress in Halifax ultimately instructed its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for full independence from Britain. This was the first official colonial action of its kind anywhere across the colonies, preceding Virginia's similar resolution and directly influencing the nation's declaration of independence months later in July of that year, and so looking at some of the details. On that April the twelfth, seventeen seventy six, the Firth of the Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina unanimously approved that resolution allowing the state's delegates to the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence from Britain. That measure would eventually become known as the Halifax Resolves and is remembered as the first official action for independence in any of the colonies. North Carolina's long timeline to the Halifax Resolves had been filled with tension, violence, and uprising across the colony. As a British colony, North Carolina merged in seventeen ten when the Carolina Colony was diverted into North and South, now called North and South Carolina. The old North Colony, as it was described, supplied British fleets and with much needed tar and lumber as settlers pushed into the Piedmont regions, heading west from the coast and hoping to own land for small farms. By the seventeen sixty sixties, the Piedmont settlers felt frustrated by the colonial tax system. Petitions to the Royal Governor, who was appointed obviously by the King, failed and in seventeen sixty eight the regulator movement broke out, eventually leading to the defeat of the regulators at the Battle of Alamance in seventeen seven. The internal colony conflict unfolded against the backdrop of larger debates and protests over British taxation and a lack of colonial representation. Some very interesting stuff going on obviously at that time. Some North carolinaize, some North Carolinians organize a group known as Sons of Liberty, and they vow to not import British goods and join committees of correspondence with other resistors in the thirteen colonies. We then flash forward to seventeen seventy four, where the first Provincial Congress organized to formally discuss grievances over taxes, which is, of course the most ironic thing in all of this, right, this is more than two hundred and fifty years ago arguments and debates over taxes. Flash forward to what's going on now in a variety of different places, not only across our state, but across the nation. What is one of the big issues that everybody talks about. What is one of the big discussions that continue to take place tax policy? How much money is the government or a government taking from you? In this case, back in the mid mid to late seventeen hundreds, it was a very oppressive British tax system. So that was the issue, the British taxation, no question there. That same year, North Carolinians sent in delegates to the First Continental Congress, a gathering of men across the colonies to seek redress and strong and write strong petitions to at the time King George the Third in April of seventeen seventy five, as shots were fired and armed conflicts began in Massachusetts. That's the very well known Battle of Lexington and Concord, North Carolinians tried to assemble in a second Provincial Congress. Royal governor at the time again appointed governor nothing like what we have now, Joseph Hsiah Martin dissolved the colony's General Assembly, canceling its congress. As news arrived from the north, militias assembled and eventually forced Governor Martin to seek refuge aboard a British warship in southeastern North Carolina. The Second Continental Congress assembled the delegates from across the thirteen colonies in May of seventeen seventy five and grappled with the reality of war and seeking a peaceful, productive reconciliation with King George the Third. Flashback here to North Carolina. The Third Provincial Congress met in August of seventeen seventy five, and they had begun to officially enlist soldiers to join the Continental Army and organize a Council of Safety to coordinate militia units for defense of North Carolina. And so this is some of the setup here that we're talking about leading up to and in and around the time of the Halifax Resolves, which, by all counts and no real deals dispute of this at all. The Halifax Resolve, signed April the twelfth, seventeen seventy six, are absolutely the first official action for independence from any or from any of the thirteen colonies here in continental North America. In the thirteen colonies, amazing what was going on, and amazing that the dispute, the debate over taxes and taxation and tax policy was going on, and obviously it wasn't anywhere near as in depth as some of those discussions are now, but that was the main cripe. That was the main frustration. Taxes from the royals over in Britain, an unfair and unjust tax system in which individuals across the colonies like North Carolina found themselves very, very frustrated. We're combining a couple of topics together or here on the program today. Obviously a lot happening across the United States over the last few weeks leading into Independence Day, the Declaration of Independence being signed April July the fourth of seventeen seventy six. Combining that with some of the very negative attitude that currently exists across the nation, it's very unfortunate to see with so much negativity about the United States of America and our nation going forward. Tying that in with the very rich history that exists here in North Carolina. And I can't say this for certain, I don't have a crystal ball, but I think it's fair to say that without a lot of the work that happened in North Carolina through the seventeen seventies leading up to seventeen seventy six, it might be fair to say that the nation does not end up declaring independence. Now. It still may have happened, but probably does not happen in July of seventeen seventy six without some of the groundwork, without some of the documents, and some of the mood and opinion and feeling from the thirteen Colonies, most specifically North Carolina. At the time, we talked about the two dates on our state flag, May the twentieth, seventeen seventy five April twelfth, seventeen seventy six. Those coincide with the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. In seventy five, and then the Halifax Resolves in seventeen seventy six, which are absolutely the first documents produced by any colony officially, not officially declaring, but officially encouraging the Continental Congress to declare independence from the King, declare independence from Great Britain. So we're going through some of the details of the Halifax Resolves during the winter of seventy five leading into seventeen seventy six. Royal Governor Josiah Martin, who again was not elected, but was put in that position by King George the Third, plotted with the Loyalists and loyalist militias to march to the coastline and coordinate with an anticipated British army and naval force. Other militias confronted the Highlanders and Loyalists at that Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, which we'll get into, which happened in February of that year. The Patriot victory at that battle boosted morale in North Carolina and other colonies as words slowly traveled. It also helped influence the next steps of North Carolina's leaders as they assembled in the Fourth Provincial Congress eighty three delegates assembled in Halifax, North Carolina, representing from the counties of the colony at the time, a structure that no longer exists. Obviously, we have one hundred counties now here in North Carolina. Nevertheless, on their agenda was a discussion about severing ties with Britain. A year of discussions in county level conferences drove the conversation during the Congress, and if North Carolina formally advanced a resolution to seek independence and break from British the British Empire, it would be the first official announcement of its kind. All other formal efforts from the colonies and the Continental Congress had sought reconciliation, sought negotiation within the framework of colonialism. From the local county level, to the coloniate level to the continental level. Men who had voices in their policy, in their politics made their voices and preferences heard, either directly or through their representatives. The delegates from the Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously adopted the resolution that is now known as the Halifax Resolves. The pattern of the Resolves offered a format that would later be copied by other historic declarations. First, it recognized that the violent attempts committed by the King and Parliament of Britain against America. Went on to note quote the King and the Parliament have usurped a power unlimited and uncontrolled, as well as disregarding humble petitions for peace, liberty, keyword there and safety. The resolution outlines specific perceived threats of destroying the people and committing the most horrid devastations on the continent, encouragement of uprisings among the enslaved population, seizure of American ships, and destruction of commerce. After pointing out that their sincerest desire is to be reconciled of the mother country on constitutional principles, the document went on to direct full on independence from King from the King and the British Crown. The Halifax Resolves that would go on to be passed April twelfth, seventeen seventy six, and the Provincial Congress sent copies to North Carolina delegates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This formally allowed North Carolinians in the Continental Congress to become the leading voices in a call for independence and votes for the declaration of independence. Importantly, the Halifax Resolve gave permission and a recommendation to work with other colonial representatives to determine a path towards independence. So when we say and have first in freedom displayed. It was North Carolina that was leading this charge, leading this discussion in Philadelphia, as the States Congress at the time, obviously a much a far different power structure than we have right now, directed the North Carolina delegates in Philadelphia to call for independence and figure out and work with your colleagues, work with the representatives sent from the other twelve colonies to Philadelphia to figure out a framework of what independence would look like. The resolves did not specify when or how independence should be declared, but rather opened the door for discussions to unfold. In July seventeen seventy six, North Carolinians William Hopper, Joseph Hughes, and John Penn voted for independence in the Continental Congress and would go on to later sign the Declaration of Independence. By July the second, seventeen seventy six, news of the declaration reached the Council of Safety in North Carolina, who was also meeting in Halifax at the time. A few days later, on August the First, Cornelius Harnett, a revolutionary living in Halifax gave the first known public reading of the Declaration of Independence in North Carolina. In the months that followed, North Carolina created a state government, adopted a state constitution, and appointed Richard Caswell as the state's first governor. It's amazing, it almost gives you goosebumps raading and going through some of this history as the nation before it even existed at the time, as the thirteen colonies, their representatives and their people felt that they were not being fairly represented. In fact, they weren't being fairly represented by the British Crown, by King of George the Third at the time, by the governor at the time here in North Carolina, the Royal governor appointed in Josiah Martin. And to think again, talking about the comfort that we have right now in the grand scheme of things, the comfort that we have right now in our society versus what was going on. Then we focus on July the fourth, makes sense, that's the day. It was actually ly second, but July the fourth is the day that we focus on and is the day every year where we have all of the celebrations and all of the events that happened surrounding Independence Day. But when you look at something like July fourth, you have to go back and in some cases a couple of years to see some of the events that led up to the period of time in which the Continental Congress had the authority from its delegates in all the thirteen colonies to move forward with finding out what the framework was going to be to declare independence. We've already talked about a couple of major things, the Mecklenburg Declaration in May of seventeen seventy five, the Halifax Resolves in April early April of seventeen seventy six, and that leads us to the Battle of Morse Creek, which actually happened in February of that year, leading into this decision by the fourth Provincial Congress in Halifax, North Carolina, to tell our national delegates in Philadelphia, Hey, we want to figure out a way to declare independence from the Crown and work through this process, work with your colleaguegues up in Philadelphia to declare independence and find a framework for that to take place. So this brings us to what can only be described as the first Battle of the American Revolution, taking place in now modern day southwestern Pender County in southeastern North Carolina. February the twenty seventh, seventeen seventy six, known as the Battle of Moore's Creek because well, it took place at Moor's Creek Bridge, So a little bit of backstory here. In early January of that year, seventeen seventy six, the exiled governor who was living on a British warship because he was essentially pushed out of the colony, Josiah Martin, received a notification from London that his planned that his plan to restore royal authority in North Carolina had been approved. Two commands of British regulators, one composed of seven regiments under Lord Charles Cornwall that made up a bat two thousand troops, would sail from Ireland and New England respectively, and convene in what is now the lower Cape Fear River near Brunswick Town. They would be joined by an army of loyalists who would assist in putting down the rebellion. On January the tenth, seventeen seventy six, Martin issued a call for loyal subjects to serve at troops and a proclamation ordering the Royal standard to be raised in North Carolina. By mid February, approximately sixteen hundred Highland Scots and other loyalists those with on the side of the British Army had assembled at Cross Creek, which is now Fayetteville. Commanding that troop was Donald MacDonald, funny enough and name there a veteran of the Battle of Bunker Hill. As the loyalist forces finalized preparation and their march towards modern day Wilmington, James Moore, commander of the Patriot Army in southeastern North Carolina, mastermind us strategy to foil the rendezvous with British regulators. When commander McDonald, on the side of the British government, began his advance on the twenty first of February, Moore was able to block the initial route taken by Highlanders. McDonald altered his movement by crossing the Cape Fear River en route to the Corbett Ferry on the Black River. Then he anticipated slipping past the militiamen of the Army. When Moore learned that MacDonald had won the race to the ferry, he ordered Caswell's forces to Moor's Creek, where they were joined by additional Patriot troops under the command of under the command of Alexander Lillington. Caswell and Lillington found the narrow bridge, located on a sandbar, offered an excellent defense position. Situated at the highest elevation in the area, the bridge crossed the dark Swampy Creek at a place where the waterway was fifty feet wide and three feet dar, also known at the time as Widow Moore Creek because it flowed past land owned by widow Elizabeth Moore. The creek flowed into the Black River about ten miles above the river's meeting with the Cape Fear River. So on the night of February the twenty sixth, Caswell maintained the west bank of the creek with eight hundred soldiers, while Lillington stationed one hundred and fifty men near a slightly elevated knoll on the east bank. Moore positioned his one thousand troops between Moors Creek and Wilmington, and when the Patriot forces assumed their defense position, McDonald convinced a council of war with his officers at a camp about six miles from Caswell on the same side of the creek. We will get into some more details on the Battle of Moors Creek, which is undoubtedly the first battle of the American Revolution. All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support them too and tell them you heard it here. You can also become a patron at my Patreon page or go to dpetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone.