
North Carolina Regulators
The North Carolina Regulators were a group of people who rebelled against corrupt
government officials. The people experienced strong feelings of discontent with the way in
which the provincial government’s officials were conducting the affairs. The government
officials were running the colony both unfairly and unjustly. Many small groups of people
formed. After the spring of 1768 when the small groups allied , they called themselves the
Regulators. The Wealthy colonists considered these Regulators to be “a mob.” 
North Carolina had a lack of supervision from the British monarchy. The colony was
isolated from the rest of the country by numerous swamps, bad road conditions and
unnavigable rivers. Therefore the government officials of North Carolina became
independent, in a very unfair and unjust way to the people of North Carolina, such as
excessive taxes, dishonest sheriffs, and illegal fees. 
The injustice of the government officials urged the Regulators for justice. The once
peaceful negotiators became violent, and lawless from the slowness of legal remedies taking
place. 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 the
injustice of the government officials that made them resort to violence. The Regulators
intentions 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 crush
the Regulators. General Hugh Waddell was ordered to approach Hillsborough by way of
Salisbury 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 attacked
General Waddell’s troops. The Regulators almost 2,000 men strong sent General Waddell
and his troops in a quick retreat. Tryon heard of this and brought his forces to go to
Waddell’s rescue. A battle began. Tryon’s, the much better trained, equipped, and organized
army, crushed the Regulators. The only thing the Regulators wanted was justice. That’s
what they were fighting for. They were abused by the government officials in such away
that it caused them to revolt. The Regulators were killed in battle, wounded, captured, and
executed. Some were pardoned in exchange for pledging an oath of allegiance to the royal
government.
The War of Regulations was a foreplay to the American Revolution. The Regulators opposed
Royal authority with confidence. It was a lesson of armed resistance, a lesson that would be
used in the War for Independence. 
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