School History of North Carolina : from 1584 to the present timeMoore, John W. (John Wheeler)
History
School History of North Carolina : from 1584 to the present time
Moore, John W. (John Wheeler)
North Carolina -- History
8. It is evident that the men who constituted the Hillsboro, or
third Provincial Congress, knew perfectly well what they were
doing, and had fully counted the cost. Success meant freedom,
and would make them patriots; failure meant abject submission to
a foreign government, and would make them traitors. Knowing
this, they deliberately put a government of the people in the
place of the government of the King; they put an army in the
field and provided it with arms and ammunition; and, as if
looking ahead to a long and protracted struggle, during which
their ports would be doubtless blockaded, they sought at once,
by the offer of large bounties to encourage the manufacture at
home of such articles as were of common use and prime necessity.
They were indeed both bold and far-seeing, those men of the
Hillsboro Congress, and well they might be, for they were the
best and bravest of the province-men whose names are now
household words throughout the State.
9. The Hillsboro Congress had not called out troops any too
soon, for it was discovered that both Governor Martin, in North
Carolina, and Lord Dunmore, in Virginia, were engaged in schemes
to excite insurrections among the negro slaves. Colonel Robert
Howe, with the Second North Carolina Regiment, was sent to
Norfolk, in Virginia, where the British troops, being beaten at
Great Bridge, were soon driven from the soil of the "Old Dominion."
10. This occurred in December, 1775. About the same time
Colonels Griffith Rutherford, Thomas Polk and James Martin
embodied their militia regiments and went to South Carolina,
where they speedily crushed a Tory insurrection of certain men
called the "Scovilites." The militia were, of course, aided by
Whig troops of that province. The readiness with which North
Carolina marched troops both to Virginia and to South Carolina
caused her to stand very high in the estimation of the
Continental Congress.
11. The term "Tory" was applied to men who upheld the royal
authority, and were opposed to any movement to defend the
colonies against the exactions of the Crown and Parliament. The
"Whigs," on the contrary, were at that day demanding that
American commerce should be free, and that no taxes should be
imposed by Great Britain upon the colonies. They were not
enemies to the King, and only opposed to that which they
considered oppressive in the designs of his ministers.
QUESTIONS.
1. Who had been selected to take Colonel Harvey's place?
When and where did the third Provincial Congress meet?
2. In what condition were public affairs when the Congress met?
3. What proclamation did the Governor send to Samuel Johnston?
What reply was returned?
4. What view was taken of the Governor's flight?
Who was placed at the head of the provisional government?
5. Mention some laws which were passed concerning the Congress?
6. Mention some further acts of the Hillsboro Congress.
7. What about the issue of money?
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