Meyer Humanities III
Part I:
Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
The Political Elements of Civilization and the American Revolutionary Philosophy
Direct Democracy, Ancient Athens: demos = people; kratos = power; Solon = lawgiver
In the 7th century BC (600s), an ______________ named Draco had imposed a series of “draconian” laws on
Athens. A generation later, Solon repealed the harsh decrees and replaced them with a “democratic” system more
reflective of the interests of the people of Athens. Over the next 200 years, political rights expanded to the point
where all ________________ of Athens (adult males who had completed military training) had a say in law-making,
if they so chose (i.e. the key to direct democracy: citizens had a right to participate, but not an obligation). Direct
democracies ___________________________________________________________________
Roman Republic: res = rule / power; publica = public
Rome was governed by principles of ___________________________________________________. Power was
divided along class lines between _______________ (wealthy elite from old, est’d families), and _______________
(often artisans, similar to a middle-class who lacked family lineage). Over time, laws that granted special rights to
patricians were replaced by more merit-based protections. Power was divided between the _____________ and
__________________________________. Rome was administered by a ________________. In theory, republics
work best in small, homogeneous polities, but the U.S. changed that redefining the term to mean essentially
____________________________________.
Magna Charta: In 1215, British noblemen challenged the authority of King John, forcing him into a ___________
____________ relationship embodied in the Magna Charta. Clause 61, the “_______________________” created
a committee of barons who could __________________________, by force if necessary. The charter’s most longlasting element is a ________________________________________ – “produce the body”: Anyone accused of a
crime has the right to demand from the government a complete listing (____________) of the charges against him.
If the court cannot produce such writ, then the accused must go free.
Absolutism: Built on the “___________________________,” this mode of governance, prevalent in the 17th and
18th century, gave a monarch “________________________.” Lord Acton famously said, “__________________
________________________________________________.” Absolutism is most clearly evinced by King Louis
XIV of France, who declared, “L’Etat c’est moi” – I am the state.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688: Fearing _____________________________ under James II, Britons rebelled.
The rebellion put William III and Queen Mary on the throne and created a “_____________________________”
where the monarch is are controlled by Parliament. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 occurred as Europe witnessed
a paradigm shift. Known as the “________________________,” it reflected the advance of the _______________
__________________ that had been ongoing for more than a century.
The most important political thinker of the English Enlightenment is ___________________ (1632-1704).
Locke’s formative years were surrounded by religious and political tension. He was influenced by the events of the
English Civil War and Interregnum. Freedom of thought and to a lesser degree action became the foundation on
which he built his philosophy. Two works by Locke stand out: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690); and
_____________________________________ (1690).
Locke follows __________________________: mankind at the beginning of time was free and endowed with
________________________: __________________________________. It was a ______________________,
man was free to do whatever he chose to do. This had its advantages, but nature is dangerous: the strong can
devour the weak. One’s life, liberty, and property were constantly at risk. As Hobbes, noted life in a state of nature
was “___________________________________________________.” To survive man left a state of nature and
created government. Man kept his freedoms--the right to pursue property, the right to mobility, and the right to life.
But his freedoms were not absolute. By joining society, man had to _______________________________. This is,
in a sense, a contract between individual man and society: ____________________________. Where the two part
company is over what happens if the contract is broken by government. Locke says man has a right to rebel against
a government that does not ensure his natural rights. ___________________________________: to __________
the original terms of the contract. Locke’s writing is a justification of the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
“Rights of Englishmen”: The “Rights of Englishmen” were established slowly over centuries of English history
by “_____________________.” They are basic rights that all English subjects are entitled to. They include: the
right to trial by jury of peers; security in one's home from unwarranted entry; no taxation without representation;
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Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
No standing armies in time of peace; regular discussion; no cruel and unusual punishments; the right to rebel if
government does not ensure these rights. The rights were codified in 1689 in “An Act Declaring the Rights and
Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown” a.k.a. the “___________________________”
The American Revolutionary Era
The French and Indian War opened up cracks between the colonies and Britain. The British had fought for a global
empire; but colonials had fought for land and safety along the _________. The ____________________________
won them the land, but in the ________________________________, King George III banned settlement west of
the Appalachians to avoid war with Indians. Colonists were outraged. When Britain further ___________________
___________________________________, colonials slowly realized it was time for mother and child to part ways.
Parliament passed the _________________________, limiting smuggling and forcing colonists to pay a portion of
their defense; and the ______________________, forcing colonists to pay their debts in hard currency (________)
rather than paper money. The combination sent shock waves through the colonial economy.
Developments in 1765 made many colonists even more nervous about Parliament’s authority.
_______________________: The law ___________________________________________________________:
deeds, leases, licenses, wills, newspapers, pamphlets, etc. What made the tax more troubling to colonists was it was a
__________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ Virginia’s _________________ said colonials
enjoyed all “___________________________” and were exempt from any tax not enacted by their own legislatures.
In June 1765, Massachusetts called on delegates to meet in New York to discuss a unified response to the Act.
In the interim, violent resistance to the Stamp Act began. Bostonians hung an __________ of the stamp distributor
from what would soon be called the “_______________________” or “_______________________” Mobs
attacked homes of government officials. Among the most aggressive were the ________ ________________ in
Massachusetts, led by _____________________________.
Nine colonial delegations met in the __________________________________ in New York. Georgia and New
Hampshire could not afford to send delegates; Virginia and ______________________ did not send delegates
because their assemblies were out of session. The Congress issued the “_________________________________
______________________” and a petition to King George III for relief. Many colonies enacted “Non-importation
Agreements,” establishing ________________ of all British goods. One result of the boycotts was colonials no
longer bought British cloth or clothing. They began to wear ____________. This gave the revolutionary era a drab
fashion, as homespun was a coarser fabric than British textiles and lacking in the variety of dye colors.
The boycotts, Franklin’s lobbying, and support from _________ in Parliament (notably _____________________)
caused Parliament to ________ the Stamp Act. It was a major victory, but Parliament reasserted its authority: with
the _________________________. In 1767, Parliament passed the Revenue Act, known as the ____________
_________; it placed tariffs on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. In 1768, Britain sent troops to enforce the tariffs.
______________________________: The issue festered until the winter of 1770. On March 5th, a scuffle between
a group of young men and a soldier led to the shootings deaths of five colonials, including a black dockworker—
______________________, often considered the first casualty of the Revolution. Samuel Adams called the killings
“___________________________” and asked ______________________ to create an illustration of the event.
___________________________________________________. Tensions and conditions eased between 1770 and
1773. Britain assisted in easing tensions by repealing the duties on all goods, except tea. The ___________________
rekindled conflict. The law _____________________________________________________. John Hancock and
Samuel Adams were particularly upset by the new arrangement.
____________________________________: On December 16th, 1773, the issue came to a head. Three ships
carrying a cargo of tea were to land at Griffin’s Wharf. That night, Adams’ _______________________ dressed up
as Mohawk Indians, and they sneaked down to the wharf. They boarded the ships and tossed 45 tons of tea into the
harbor. The tea washed up on the shores of Boston Harbor for weeks.
Meyer Humanities III
Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
_________________________________________________. Parliament enacted a series of laws, known as the
____________________ because they meant to coerce better behavior from Massachusetts, or the ____________
_____________ because the colonials found they could not tolerate them.
Edenton Tea Party: In October 1774, the ladies of Edenton, NC, organized a sympathy “tea party” in support of
the people of Massachusetts. __________________________________________________________________
“until such time that all acts which tend to enslave our Native country shall be repealed.“ It is notable, mostly,
because it was the first such protest led by women.
The ______________________________________________________________________________________.
In September 1774, delegates from all the Colonies, but Georgia, met in the ______________________________.
Among the delegates were John and Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry. The Congress
approved an ______________ on all British goods. It adjourned in October with orders to meet again in May 1775.
In October 1774, Massachusetts defied Britain and met in assembly. It organized units of the _________________
______________________________________________. From this point on, Massachusetts truly is in rebellion.
___________________________________________: ____________________________________________:
On April 19th, Redcoats met the Minutemen on Lexington Green, someone fired a shot and war began. ________
__________________________________, but suffered over 250 casualties on their return to Boston. 93 colonials
died in the battles. With shots finally fired, all of New England prepared for war.
The other colonial regions were less united in their response to Lexington and Concord. In some, _____________
organized the militia, while __________________________ opposed war.
Loyalism was stronger in the Lower South, particularly in the back-country among the Scots-Irish who distrusted
the Low Country planters. But a strong patriot contingent also existed in the Carolinas, as well as Georgia.
On May 20th, ______________________________________________________________________________:
“We do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people; are, and of right ought to be a _______________
___________________________________________________________, under the control of no power, other
than that of our God and . . . Congress: To the maintenance of which Independence we solemnly pledge to each
other our mutual co-operation, our Lives, our Fortunes, and our most Sacred Honor.”
____________________________: Meeting, beginning in May 1775 in Philadelphia, it was the first that included
delegates from all of the colonies. The Congress named ___________________________ as _________________
_____________________________________.
______________________________ (June 17, 1775): First major battle of the war; 2,200 Redcoats fought to take
the heights north of Boston. The British took the hill but it was a ____________________: a victory at great cost.
________________________: Pamphlet written by ___________________, published in January 1776. Its fiery
language and clear reasoning helped convince the large segment of undecided to join the independence movement
______________________: North Carolina was the first “province” to declare its support for independence. In
April 1776, the North Carolina Provincial Congress met in Halifax County to debate responses to events and to
decide what instructions to give its delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Its 83 delegates ____________
_________________________________________________________________________. The Resolves did
not, however, give NC’s delegation permission to introduce an independence resolution at the Philadelphia meeting.
Virginia Resolves: In early June 1776, ________________________, the leading delegate from Virginia offered
__________________________________________. A ____________________ of all provinces was required
for passage. To overcome opposition, the Congress decided to draw up a declaration of the theory and causes of
why the United States should be free from British rule. On July 2nd, amendments to the declaration were complete
and the unanimous vote taken.
John Adams: Boston lawyer; led the Independence Movement at 2nd Continental Congress. He was ambassador to
Britain during the Confederation era, was ___________________________________________________.
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Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
Thomas Jefferson: Main author of the Declaration of Independence, inventor, writer, and musician: ambassador to
France during the Confederation era, ___________________________________________________________
________________________________: Founding document of the U.S. signed on July 4, 1776. It was written by
committee with most of the work done by Jefferson: the document is in four parts: 1. a preamble, an introduction
as to the document’s purpose; 2. ___________________________________________, based on Locke's “social
contract:” life, liberty, pursuit of happiness; 3. list of complaints against King George III; 4. statement of intent, i.e.
the declaration that __________________________________________________________________________
Forces of the Revolution
British Forces
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________
American Forces
 ____________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________________________________
The War in the South: American troops were commanded by ___________________________________ (called
Washington’s “ablest general”). After ______________________________________, Greene’s troops chased the
retreating British to __________________________________ (Greensboro) where another pyrrhic victory for the
British marked the beginning of the end British control in the U.S.
_______________________________ (Aug. – Oct. 1781): The U.S., under the command of George Washington and
with help from the French, defeated the British after a long siege and __________________________, ending the war.
________________________ (Sept. 1783): Treaty ending the War of Independence: with it the U.S. gained control
of all the land east of the Mississippi River, north of Florida, and south of British Canada. In November, the British
evacuated New York City. A month later, _______________________________________________________ as
Commander of the Continental Army, showing that a civilian government would run the U.S.
With independence, it became necessary for each state to reconstitute its government. Given their unhappiness with
the monarchical experience, all states chose a _________________________________________________. Each
state had an elected governor and a senate, and most wrote bills of rights to protect people’s basic rights. The rights
included: freedom of speech, the right to petition, trial by jury, and freedom from self-incrimination.
_________________________________ (1781): First U.S. constitution. It created ________________________
______________________________________. The federal government consisted of a legislature, no executive and
no judicial branch. It could not levy taxes or regulate interstate or foreign trade. These weaknesses led to conflict
between and among states, a disorganized foreign policy, and an ineffectual national government.
The Problems of Self-Government
Shays’ Rebellion: Uprising by farmers in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays. The farmers took over courts to stop
judgments against their farms. Some began a march on Boston and ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________. The federal government’s inability to stop the
uprising showed the ______________________________________________ and caused a national emergency.
“Miracle at Philadelphia”: ______________________________________________—after the Confederation’s
failure, the country’s leaders met in Philadelphia to make a new plan of government. In the summer heat, delegates
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
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Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804): A New York delegate at the Philadelphia convention, he led the ____________
________________________________________________________. Washington named him ______________
__________________________. His economic policies helped create a foundation on which a national economy
could grow. An opponent of Jefferson, he helped create the Federalist Party in the 1790s. He was killed in a duel
with Vice-POTUS Aaron Burr in 1804.
James Madison (1751-1836): Called the “______________________________________,” he led the Virginia
delegation at the convention; kept notes on proceedings; ____________________________________; and, with
Hamilton, led the Federalist faction. To satisfy foes of the Constitution, he ______________________________.
He joined Jefferson’s Republican Party in the mid-1790s. He was ___________________________.
__________________________________: Built on Montesquieu’s ideas of “divided sovereignty,” this divides
power and authority among three branches of government so that government will not become too powerful.
________________________________: Coinciding with the separation of powers, this system gives each branch
of government a check on the power of the others and thereby balances power among the three: in theory, no one
branch is more powerful than the others. A primary example of the system is the __________________________.
Virginia Plan: Madison’s plan to overhaul of the Articles and create a stronger central government: a bicameral
legislature with representation based on population; a strong executive and judiciary selected by the legislature—also
known as the “Large States Plan.”
New Jersey Plan: a.k.a. the “Small States Plan,” it proposed giving the national government more power while
maintaining the sovereignty of the individual states. It kept the unicameral legislature, but gave the federal government
power to collect taxes and regulate trade; and created a national judiciary
Connecticut Compromise: Conceived by Franklin and offered by Roger Sherman of Connecticut, it split the
difference on representation and saved the convention.
It called for a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House (by population), but for equal
representation in the Senate (two Senators for by each state).
Three-fifths Compromise: Counting slaves for representation was another thorny issue for the Convention.
Southerners wanted all slaves counted. Many northerners did not want to count any, but opponents of slavery
understood this would diminish the slaves to a status of property, not people. The delegates settled on counting three of
every five slaves (rendering each slave 3/5s of a person).
_____________________: WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, in order to form a ____________
______________, establish Justice, ensure domestic ___________________, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our _____________, do ordain and
establish the Constitution for the United States of America
The Federalist Papers: One of the most important documents in U.S. history, this series of ________________
________________________________________________________________________ explains and defends the
Constitution from the perspective of the Federalists (_____________________________________________).
Anti-Federalists: Unorganized group _______________________________________, they defended the basic
structure of the Articles of Confederation. The Anti-Federalists demanded that the Constitution be amended to protect
the people and the states from an aggressive federal government.
Ratification of the Constitution in North Carolina
Given the state’s past reluctance to be governed by central authorities, __________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
Led by ______________________________________, a planter and slaveowner in Northampton County who as a
younger man led opposition to the Regulators at Alamance and as an older man refused nomination as a delegate to
Philadelphia, ____________________________________________________________________. They believed
it would result in a standing army, a U.S. Supreme Court that could overrule state courts, and a federal government
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Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
that could regulate the economy for the benefit of a few well-placed men. At the ____________________________
_________________________, they rejected the Constitution, even though it had already become law.
To establish a philosophical foundation for their opposition, _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ and until it was done, North
Carolina was no longer part of the United States.
The Constitution did have some supporters in North Carolina. Most notable among them were _______________
_____________________________________.
Iredell was born in England and came to Edenton to serve as a tax collector. But he was an early supporter of
American independence. He wrote an essay, _______________________________________________, before
the Declaration of Independence was signed. Iredell led _____________________________________________
__________________________________ in 1789. Because of his role in NC’s eventual ratification of the
Constitution, George Washington named him to the __________________________________________ in 1790.
William R. Davie, born in England and educated in Charlotte, was an ________________________________
______________. Like Iredell and other Federalists, Davie believed that a stronger central government was needed
to ensure the safety of citizens and protection of property. They were struck by Shays’ Rebellion as a threat to the
very existence of the country. Later elected NC Governor, Davie was an important negotiator in the Convention of
1800 (Treaty of Mortfontaine) with Napoleon, ending the “Quasi-War” with France. With Willie Jones, _________
___________________________________________________________.
Bill of Rights: ___________________________________________________, drafted by James Madison to
satisfy concerns of Anti-Federalists. It was _______________________________________________________.
It describes the rights retained by the people and the states under the new more centralized system.
Meyer Humanities III
Part II:
Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
Video Worksheet: The New Nation
1. When did America win its independence? ______________________
2. All agreed that the government should be based on the _______________________________________
3. What was the “thorniest” issue facing the states in ratifying the Articles of Confederation? ___________
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What role did women play in the new nation? _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. What was the first territory to abolish slavery? _________________________
6. What occurred in Philadelphia in May 1787? ________________________________________________
7. How was representation set in the Virginia Plan? _____________________________________ How was it
set in the New Jersey Plan? ______________________________ How was the disagreement resolved?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. How was representation of slaves settled at the convention? ____________________________________
9. According to the Federalists, what best protected the people? ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. What did the Anti-Federalists say best protected the people? ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. What did Madison promise Virginians to win support for the Constitution? ________________________
12. In what city did George Washington take his oath of office, becoming first POTUS? __________________
13. Name three rights protected by the Bill of Rights: ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
14. Hamilton called the United States: “A ______________________ in the cradle.”
15. Why did some southern states oppose the federal government paying off state debts? _______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
16. What did the South get in return for its accepting the federal government’s assumption of state debts? ___
____________________________________________________________________________________
17. Name the two “angry” factions that developed in the 1790s: ____________________________________
18. Who was elected second POTUS? __________________________. Who led the Democratic-Republican
societies? ______________________________________
19. Quote: “Jefferson favored a nation of independent _____________________ built on _______________ and
________________________.
20. What laws were passed in 1798 restricting political dissent? ____________________________________
21. When the ballots of 1800 were counted, the Democratic-Republicans had won. “Americans had chosen
_______________________________________________”
22. Which of Adams’s “midnight judges” had a tremendous impact on the future of the nation? ___________
______________________
23. In Marbury v. Madison, Marshall laid the foundation for ________________________ of laws passed by
Congress. This empowered the Supreme Court to rule a law ___________________________.
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Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
Part II:
The Regulators: Overview
During the Revolutionary Era many people in western North Carolina became discontented with the provincial
government. However, their quarrel was not with the form of government or the colony’s laws but with abuses by
government officials. Grievances affecting the daily lives of the colonists included excessive taxes, dishonest sheriffs,
and illegal fees. Scarcity of currency also contributed to the state of unrest.
In spring of 1768, the agrieved, calling themselves “Regulators,” formed an association to force reform of the
government. The Regulators never had an outstanding leader, though several men were prominent in the movement;
including James Hunter, Rednap Howell, William Butler, and Herman Husband. Husband, a Quaker and follower of
Benjamin Franklin, circulated political pamphlets advocating peaceful reform.
Discouraged over failing to secure justice through peaceful negotiations, the reformers took a more radical stand.
Violence, lawlessness, and terrorism reigned. The Regulators refused to pay fees, terrorized those who administered
the law, and disrupted court proceedings.
In March 1771, Governor William Tryon called out the militia to put down the rebellion.
On May 16, 1771, Tryon’s militia and the Regulator forces met at Alamance. The 5,000 Regulators rejected
Tryon’s order to disperse peacefully and the battle began. Lacking leadership, organization, and adequate arms and
ammunition, the Regulators were no match for Tryon’s much smaller militia force. Many Regulators fled, leaving
their bolder comrades to fight on. The rebellion of the Regulators was crushed. Nine members of the king’s militia
were killed and 61 wounded. The Regulator losses were much greater, though exact numbers are unknown. Tryon
took 15 prisoners; seven were hanged. Many Regulators moved west. Those who stayed were offered pardons by the
governor in exchange for pledging an oath of allegiance to the royal government.
The War of the Regulation shows how many colonists were upset with the lack of representative government. The
arguments and boldness displayed by reformers opposed to royal authority provided a lesson in the use of armed
resistance, which patriots employed in the American War for Independence.
Document #1. The Regulators organize
From Regulators Advertisement No. 4, January 1768, from Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, Volume 7, pp. 671–672.
We the under written subscribers do voluntarily agree to form ourselves into an Association to assemble ourselves
for conferences for regulating publick Grievances & abuses of Power in the following particulars with others of like
nature that may occur
1. That we will pay no Taxes until we are satisfied they are agreeable to Law and Applied to the purposes
therein mentioned unless we cannot help and are forced.
2. That we will pay no Officer any more fees than the Law allows unless we are obliged to it and then to shew
a dislike to it & bear open testimony against it.
3. That we will attend our Meetings of Conference as often as we conveniently can or is necessary in order to
consult our representatives on the amendment of such Laws as may be found grievous or unnecessary and to
choose more suitable men than we have heretofore done for Burgesses and Vestrymen and to Petition His
Excellency our Governor the Honorable the Council and the Worshipful House of representatives His
Majesty in Parliament &c. for redress of Grievances and to inform one another & to learn, know and enjoy all
the Priviledges & Liberties that are allowed us and were settled on us by our worthy Ancestors the founders of
the present Constitution in order to preserve it in its ancient Foundation that it may stand firm & unshaken.
4. That we will contribute to Collections for defraying necessary expences attending the work according to our
abilities.
5. That in Cases of differences in Judgment we will submit to the Majority of our Body.
Document #2. Edmund Fanning reports to Governor Tryon
Letter from Edmund Fanning to William Tryon, April 23, 1768
Edmund Fanning (1737–1808) was born on Long Island, NY. After studying law at Yale, he moved to
Hillsborough, NC, in 1761. There, he became a friend of Governor William Tryon and gained several political posts.
He became Crown Attorney in 1761, served at the Salisbury district court, and was appointed clerk of the Superior
Court of Orange County in 1763. As clerk of court, he had the power to collect court fees, and the Regulators
accused him of abusing his power, overcharging, and taking public funds for his own use. He was tried on these
charges in September 1768 and convicted but given only a tiny fine. When Tryon left NC in 1771 to become
governor of NY, Fanning followed him as his personal secretary.
I want words to express the concern I feel, while I communicate to your Excellency the wretched and
deplorable situation of this County; this my present uneasiness is greatly aggravated from a sense of the concern it
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must give you, & being informed that the late orderly and well regulated County of Orange, is now . . . the very nest
and bosom of rioting and rebellion — The People are now in every part and Corner of the County, meeting,
conspiring, and confederating by solemn oath and open violence to refuse the payment of Taxes and to prevent the
execution of Law, threatening death and immediate destruction to myself and others. … This Contagion and spirit
of rebellion (for surely Sir it is rank rebellion) took its rise in the lower part of Anson [County] spread itself into
Orange and encouraged by some of the principal men of Cumberland (as I am informed & verily believe) became
considerable — On my return from Salisbury Supr Court hearing of the Conspiracy I convened four of the Head
men before me and expatiated to them on the folly and madness of their conduct and three out of four readily
acknowledged the impropriety of their conduct, confessed a clear conviction of their error and made me a promise
to put an end to it as far as in their Power. I dismissed them and expected to hear no more of it — But alas I find it
was not to be effected…
[I] this day got all the information in my power of the state, situation and number of the regulators (as they are
pleased to call themselves, tho’ by Lawyers they must be termed rebels and Traitors) and learn that on this day they
have a grand Association and that on the 3rd day of May they are to environ the Town with fifteen hundred men &
then to execute their vengeance on me and if not satisfied in every particular to their desire (which is impossible) why
then to lay the Town in ashes &c. . . . — Colo[nel] Gray, Major Lloyd, Captain Hart, Adjutant Nash & Captain
Thackston seem to think that not above one hundred men can be raised in this County who will with spirit and
courage oppose them . . .
Unluckily for the cause of Government the County Court is next week to be held in this Town and considering
the prevalency of that Party and the impossibility of enforcing any order among the tumultuous throng and rabble
which ever attend Courts, I thought it most advisable to be silent until to-morrow week when in the evening I propose
to send off a Detachment of the Trusty and loyal few that I can command for to apprehend three or four of the
principals under the cover of the night, and to have them brought instantly to town where on the Tuesday following I
verily expect an attack from the whole united force of the regulators or rebels at which time I intend, as do also the
aforementioned Officers, to bravely repulse them or nobly die — If I can rally force to withstand one attack I then
shall plume myself as being the commanding Officer in this County & then shall expect to be joined immediately by
numbers who now think it desperately dangerous and almost inevitable death to oppose them, so powerful are they
thought, and so alarming are the apprehensions of the Populace at this time — and was it not that they will be awed by
their guilt and we supported and encouraged by our loyalty and attachment to the Constitution and Government our
defeat would be indubitably certain and sure — They say they can command powerful and numerous aids from
Anson, Rowan and Mecklenburg and if so it becomes the important concern of Government and undoubtedly my
duty early to apply to your Excellency for Orders to raise the Militia and if any will obey (which I think they will some
few) to give them Battle immediately, and if any advantage can be once gained the show will be over I am convinced…
My duty to Her Excellency Mrs Tryon and do me the favour to believe that I am most cordially and sincerely
with the highest sense of Gratitude and respect most absolutely at your Excellency’s full command
Document #3. "Some grievous oppressions"
From Herman Husband, "An Impartial Relation", (1770)
http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/twiki/pub/AmLegalHist/ChrisProject/An_Impartial_Relation,_Fourth_Part.pdf (Starting at p. 85)
I shall now consider some grievous oppressions that we labor under.
First, The Publick taxes is an unequal burden on the poor of this province, by reason the poorest man is taxed as
high as the richest. Allowing the taxes to be all necessary . . . yet we ought to be taxed according to the profits of each
man’s estate. And as we have no trade to circulate money, this tax ought to be paid in country produce.
… This is a grievous burden on the poor, as matters have been carried on, for money is not to be had: And when a
poor man’s goods is distrained, the practice has been to take double, treble, yes ten times the value has sometimes been
taken away. —And if they complain, they are not heard; if they resist, they are belabored like asses.
Merciful Lord, would any people rise in mobs to disturb a peaceable nation if they could help it! Who is more ready
than the poor to venture their lives in time of war for the safety of the nation! nay it is pinching hunger and cold,
brought on them by abuse of officers, that is the cause.…
Neither is it any reflection on the king, to say, the poor are oppressed; for he don’t make our laws: —’Tis the
subjects themselves, like the fish, devouring one another, with this difference, we are devoured by law.
The narrow limits of our inferior court’s jurisdiction, and likewise of a single magistrate, is a grievous burden on
both poor and rich; and more so as we are obliged to fee lawyers; and in their demands they have got above the law,
and have monopolized the power of the courts into their own hands.… [T]he lawyers use us as we do our stocks, they
kill one here and there, or pluck us well, and then let us run a while to feather again.
We must make these men subject to the laws, or they will enslave the whole community.
Meyer Humanities III
Unit 2: Who’s Got the POWAH?
. . . North-Carolinians, if you remain under these burdens, it must be your own faults; —you will stand recorded
for asses to all generations if you do not assert your privileges before it is too late to recover them. It is not disloyalty,
nor injurious, to give Instructions to the candidates you choose, and take their solemn promise and obligation, that they
will follow those instructions. This is far more noble than rioting a few days in drunkenness. Assembly men are your
servants, and it is but reasonable they be made accountable to you for their conduct.…
Finally, My brethren, whenever it is in your power, take care to have the house of assembly filled with good honest
and faithful men; and encourage and instruct them on all occasions.
Document #4. An Act for preventing Tumultuous and riotous Assemblies
Legislation passed by the North Carolina provincial assembly, January 15, 1771.
An Act for preventing Tumultuous and riotous Assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectually
punishing the Rioters, and for restoring and preserving the public peace of this Province.
Whereas of late many seditious Riots and tumults have been in divers[e] Parts of this Province to the disturbance of the
Public Peace, the Obstruction of the Course of Justice, and tending to subvert the Constitution, and the same are yet
continued and fomented by Persons disaffected to his Majesty’s Government. . . .
Summary 1. Any group of more than 10 persons gathered “unlawfully, tumultuously, and riotously,” if refusing to disperse
within one hour after being told to do so by a sheriff, will be guilty of a felony and punishable by death.
Summary 2. If the sheriff must arrest such persons, he and any citizens assisting him may injure or even kill them if
necessary.
Summary 3. Any group of ten or more persons who interfere with court procedings, prevent the collection of taxes, or
illegally destroy any public or private building will be guilty of a felony and punishable by death.
Summary 4. The law is made retroactive. Persons violating this law may be tried anywhere in the colony.
Summary 5. Names of persons charged with crimes under this law will be posted in court houses and churches. If a person
charged refuses to surrender within 60 days, he will be considered guilty, and any person may kill him without consequences.
Summary 6. The Governor may use the militia to enforce this law.
Summary 7. Any armed men who resist the military force of the Governor will be considered traitors.
And be it enacted, by the Authority aforesaid that this Act shall be in Force for one year and no longer.
Read three times in open Assembly & Ratified the 15th Day of January 1771.
William Tryon
James Hasell, President
Richard Caswell, Speaker.
ASSIGNMENT:
VOCABULARY: define or explain each of the high-lighted words or phrases. (26 points)
Using this and other sources: Identify: The Regulators; William Tryon; Battle of Alamance (6 points)
Document #1. The Regulators organize (3 points)
1. Paying particular attention to items 1 and 3 herein, do the Regulators sound like violent radicals bent
on revolution and the overthrow of government? Give specific evidence in the tone and words of the
document to support your interpretation.
Document #2. Edmund Fanning reports to Governor Tryon (2 points)
2. Is Edmund Fanning’s view of events reliable? Defend your answer.
Document #3. "Some grievous oppressions" (3 points)
3. What about NC’s tax system makes it seem unfair to Herman Husband?
4. What is the basic problem that makes it difficult for many North Carolinians to pay taxes? What does
Husband suggest as a solution?
Document #4. An Act for preventing Tumultuous and riotous Assemblies (2 points)
5. In your opinion, is this a reasonable law? Defend your answer, giving specific evidence from the Act,
the other documents, and events surrounding the passage of the law.