North Carolina played a critical, often overlooked, role in our nation’s founding. We at the North Carolina History Project have put together this timeline of our state’s contributions to the American Revolution. The following timeline chronologically lays out some of the most important events in North Carolina’s revolutionary history and links out to our more...
To academic historians and amateur (or avocational) historians: We explored the North Carolina Historical Review to find articles about the American Revolution. I hope these summaries (written by a person, not AI) will whet your appetite for the longer versions. (A link to each article on JSTOR is provided for each.) Did North Carolina’s Revolution...
The North Carolina Historical Review includes a rich collection of articles about the American Revolution. This list was compiled by Kathryn McKee and Jane Shaw Stroup.
Pyle’s Defeat occurred in February 1781 near the end of the Revolution. It was a savage blow to British hopes, as Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis attempted to stop the Patriots’ momentum.
The subject of Scottish folklore and myth, Flora MacDonald assisted Prince Charles Stuart in his escape from King George II. In 1774, she moved to North Carolina, where her Loyalist husband and son fought in the Battle of Moores Creek.
The Edenton Tea Party was one of the earliest organized women’s political actions in United States history. On October 25, 1774, Mrs. Penelope Barker organized, at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth King, fifty-one women in Edenton, North Carolina. Together they formed an alliance wholeheartedly supporting the American cause against “taxation without representation.”
Sam Ervin (1896 – 1985)
The charming and witty Senator Sam was born in Burke County, North Carolina, in 1896. A Democrat and civil libertarian, Senator Sam served in the Senate for two decades (1954 - 1974), and he earned the distinction as one of the last Southern Democrats of the same breed as Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Russell. Sam Ervin remains a nationally known political figure because of his cleverness, Southern charm, and wit.
O. Henry (1862 – 1910)
More commonly known as O. Henry, the North Carolina-born author was famous for his “O. Henry Endings” and popular short stories in the early-twentieth century. Born in Greensboro in 1862, O. Henry’s early childhood and adolescence greatly influenced his literary style and voice. Some of his famous works include “The Gift of the Magi”, “The Ransom of Red Chief”, and “Memoirs of a Yellow Dog.”
Perquimans County (1668)
“The land of beautiful women,” Perquimans County was once home to the Yeopim and Weapemeoc. During the early colonial era, several rebellions occurred in the county despite the large Quaker presence within the region. Established in 1668, Perquimans is home to the oldest colonial structure in North Carolina, and its seat of government is Hertford.
Yancey County (1833)
The most mountainous county in North Carolina, Yancey has five of the ten highest peaks east of the Mississippi River. Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain in the state, rests in Yancey, and the Black Mountain range extends into the county. Formed in 1833, the county was named after U.S. Congressman Bartlett Yancey. A notable aspect of Yancey includes the high number of artists and craftsmen and women who reside in this mountain county.
Lenoir County (1791)
Landlocked in North Carolina’s Coastal Plains region, Lenoir County is famous for its history, innovation, and as the birthplace of several notable persons.
Johnston County (1746)
Johnston County, established in 1746, is named in honor of Royal Governor Gabriel Johnston. Smithfield is the county's seat, and agriculture remains the strongest indicator of the area's economy. Johnston's primary historical attraction is the Bentonville Battleground State Historic State which preserves the last battlefield of the Civil War.
Albert Bigelow (1848-1922)
An influential member of the North Carolina GOP during the late 1800s, Bigelow served one term as a Republican member of the N. C. House of Representatives (1881). He was one of 18 African Americans to serve in the 1881 General Assembly. A co-founder of the Yanceyville Colored Graded School, Bigelow also served for two years as Yanceyville’s postmaster, appointed to that post under the Grant administration in 1873.
Onslow County (1734)
Onslow County, formed in 1734 and named after Sir Arthur Onslow, is a southern coastal county in North Carolina. Its seat of government is Jacksonville, and it is home to the largest Marine base in the world, Camp Lejeune. The first time Europeans encountered Native Americans may have occurred in Onslow County.
Haywood County (1808)
Haywood, a western, mountain county of North Carolina, was established out of Buncombe County in 1808. Named after John Haywood, the county is home to the Great Smoky Mountains, Maggie Valley, and Lake Junaluska. Waynesville, incorporated in 1871, is the county’s seat of government.
Bertie County (1722)
Bertie County, established in 1722 from a section of the Chowan precinct, is located in the northeastern part of North Carolina. A county of rich soil and numerous waterways, Bertie was once inhabited by the Tuscarora. Nathaniel Batts was the first white European to traverse modern-day Bertie, and the Batts House remains a testament to his settlement.
Union County (1842)
Created from a compromise between Democrats and Whigs in the 1840s, Union County is a southern Piedmont county that borders South Carolina and is home to Wingate University, a Baptist college institution, and the Jesse Helms Center. Some historians argue that Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, was born in Union.
Durham County (1881)
Described by an early explorer as the “flower of the Carolinas”, Durham is a central Piedmont county that was annexed from Orange and Wake counties in 1881. Driven by the tobacco industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Durham County was the city of the affluent American Tobacco Company. Today, the Research Triangle Park (RTP) and the medical institutions make Durham a national asset. In addition, Duke University and North Carolina Central University are in the city.