Alamance: Governor's militia fighting the Regulators.

Steps Toward Independence

Furious, the NC General Assembly created the First Provincial Congress, consisting of 71 delegates and John Harvey as moderator. In spite of Governor Martin's several attempts to stop the new congress, members of the congress elected people to the Second Continental Congress and even established a Council of Safety, the first independent form of government North Carolina had known.

In 1775, the new government took more steps towards independence by drafting a Declaration of Independence in Mecklenburg. Since Governor Martin began to realize that the colonists were serious about opposing Britain, he left America and fled to Britain. And he was right. In July, Cornelius Harnett, John Ashe and Robert Howe led a group of minutemen to take Fort Johnston out of British control.

Even though North Carolina was taking serious steps toward independence, citizens were not sure they wanted to be completely free of their mother country. So when Benjamin Franklin proposed a colonial confederation, the Third Provincial Congress in North Carolina rejected it. However, they knew that war was coming, so they began putting a military force together.

But Governor Martin did not completely stay out of North Carolina's business. In January 1776, he approached Lord Charles Cornwallis to try to crush the rebellion in North Carolina.  In February, a large force loyal to the British prepared to invade North Carolina. At Moore's Creek Bridge, Whig forces defeated the British army, and North Carolina enjoyed some peace for about four years.

A New Government