North Carolina RegulatorsThe North Carolina Regulators were a group of people who rebelled against corruptgovernment officials. The people experienced strong feelings of discontent with the way inwhich the provincial government’s officials were conducting the affairs. The governmentofficials were running the colony both unfairly and unjustly. Many small groups of peopleformed. After the spring of 1768 when the small groups allied , they called themselves theRegulators.
The Wealthy colonists considered these Regulators to be ?a mob. ? North Carolina had a lack of supervision from the British monarchy. The colony wasisolated from the rest of the country by numerous swamps, bad road conditions andunnavigable rivers. Therefore the government officials of North Carolina becameindependent, in a very unfair and unjust way to the people of North Carolina, such asexcessive taxes, dishonest sheriffs, and illegal fees. The injustice of the government officials urged the Regulators for justice.
The oncepeaceful negotiators became violent, and lawless from the slowness of legal remedies takingplace. The Regulators refused to pay fees, and terrorized those who administered the law. They also disrupted court proceedings. The Regulators first tried negotiations; it was theinjustice of the government officials that made them resort to violence. The Regulatorsintentions were not to terrorize the government officials, but only to find justice. The regulators fight for justice was a problem for royal Governor William Tryon,who wanted the Regulators revolt to stop.
The governor’s council was determined to crushthe Regulators. General Hugh Waddell was ordered to approach Hillsborough by way ofSalisbury and Governor Tryon and his army proceeded more directly towards Hillsborough. General Waddell had a small force of 284 men. The Regulators saw this and attackedGeneral Waddell’s troops. The Regulators almost 2,000 men strong sent General Waddelland his troops in a quick retreat.
Tryon heard of this and brought his forces to go toWaddell’s rescue. A battle began. Tryon’s, the much better trained, equipped, and organizedarmy, crushed the Regulators. The only thing the Regulators wanted was justice. That’swhat they were fighting for.
They were abused by the government officials in such awaythat it caused them to revolt. The Regulators were killed in battle, wounded, captured, andexecuted. Some were pardoned in exchange for pledging an oath of allegiance to the royalgovernment. The War of Regulations was a foreplay to the American Revolution. The Regulators opposedRoyal authority with confidence. It was a lesson of armed resistance, a lesson that would beused in the War for Independence.
