Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress

Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress
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Overview
Legislative body	North Carolina Provincial Congress
Jurisdiction	North Carolina ( de facto )
Meeting place	Halifax Court House
Term	April 4, 1776 – May 14, 1776
Provincial Congress
Members	153 delegates
President	Samuel Johnston
Vice President	Cornelius Harnett
Sovereign
Monarch	HM George III
Governor	HE Josiah Martin

The Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress was a meeting of the provincial congress of the de facto provincial government of North Carolina, composed of 153 delegates from 35 counties and nine towns. The congress convened in Halifax on April 4, 1776, and ended on May 14, 1776, during the final year of Josiah Martin's gubernatorial administration. Samuel Johnston was unanimously chosen as president, and Cornelius Harnett was appointed as vice president of the congress. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Resolutions

Further information: Halifax Resolves

John Trumbull's painting, Declaration of Independence , depicting the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to the Congress. Hewes and Penn are depicted in the back row. Hooper missed the initial vote approving it on the Fourth of July, 1776, but was able to sign it on August 2, 1776.

The delegates authorized their representatives to the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence, including Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, and John Penn. The 83 delegates present on April 12, 1776 adopted the Halifax Resolves. On April 13, 1776, the delegates formed a committee to start working on a North Carolina Constitution, which was ratified in December by the Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress. In April 1776, the congress passed a resolve to move loyalists while allowing them to dispose of their property. Later in May 1776, the congress passed a resolve to confiscate the property of those taking up arms against the United Colonies. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Delegates

Samuel Johnston, Chowan County

Thomas Amis, Halifax County

John Baptista Ashe, New Hanover County

Thomas Burke, Orange County

Richard Caswell, Dobbs County

Philemon Hawkins, II, Bute County

Joseph Hewes, Edenton

William Hooper, New Hanover County

Samuel Johnston, Chowan County

Allen Jones, Northampton County

Willie Jones, Halifax County

Abner Nash, New Bern

John Penn, Granville County

Nathaniel Rochester, Orange County

Joseph Winston, Surry County

The following is a full list of delegates to the fourth congress by constituency. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Constituency	Name
Anson County	John Child
Anson County	John Crawford
Anson County	Daniel Love
Anson County	James Pickett
Anson County	Samuel Spencer
Beaufort County	John Cowper
Beaufort County	Roger Ormond
Beaufort County	Thomas Respess, jun.
Bertie County	John Campbell [9]
Bertie County	John Johnston
Bertie County	Charles Jaycocks
Bladen County	Thomas Amis [10]
Bladen County	Maturin Colville
Bladen County	James Council
Bladen County	Nathaniel Richardson
Bladen County	Thomas Robeson, jun. [11]
Brunswick County	not represented
Bute County	William Alston [12]
Bute County	Philemon Hawkins [13]
Bute County	Green Hill [14]
Bute County	William Person
Bute County	Thomas Sherrod
Carteret County	John Backhouse [15]
Carteret County	Solomon Shepard
Carteret County	William Thompson
Chatham County	Elisha Cain
Chatham County	Jeduthan Harper
Chatham County	Ambrose Ramsey
Chatham County	Joseph Rosser
Chatham County	John Thompson
Chowan County	Thomas Benbury
Chowan County	John B. Beasly
Chowan County	Thomas Hunter
Chowan County	Samuel Johnston [16]
Chowan County	Thomas Jones [17]
Craven County	Jacob Blount [18]
Craven County	John Bryan
Craven County	William Bryan
Craven County	James Coor
Craven County	Lemuel Hatch
Cumberland County	David Smith
Cumberland County	Alexander McAllister
Cumberland County	Farquard Campbell [19]
Cumberland County	Thomas Rutherford [20]
Cumberland County	Alexander McKay
Currituck County	Samuel Jarvis
Currituck County	Gideon Lamb [21]
Currituck County	Solomon Perkins [22]
Currituck County	James Ryan
Currituck County	James White [23]
Dobbs County	Simon Bright
Dobbs County	Richard Caswell
Dobbs County	William McKinnie
Dobbs County	George Miller
Dobbs County	Abraham Sheppard
Duplin County	Richard Clinton
Duplin County	William Dickson [24]
Duplin County	Thomas Gray
Edgecombe County	Elisha Battle [25]
Edgecombe County	Nathan Boddie
Edgecombe County	William Haywood [26]
Edgecombe County	Henry Irwin [27]
Edgecombe County	Duncan Lemon [28]
Granville County	Charles A. Eaton
Granville County	Memucan Hunt
Granville County	John Penn
Granville County	Thomas Person
Granville County	John Taylor
Guilford County	William Dent
Guilford County	Ralph Gorrell, jun. [29]
Guilford County	Ransom Sutherland
Halifax County	Willis Alston
Halifax County	John Bradford
Halifax County	James Hogun
Halifax County	David Sumner
Halifax County	Joseph John Williams
Hertford County	Lawrence Baker [30]
Hertford County	Matthias Brickell, jun.
Hertford County	William Murfree [note 1]
Hertford County	Robert Sumner
Hyde County	Joseph Hancock
Hyde County	John Jordan
Hyde County	Rotheas Latham
Hyde County	Benjamin Parmelin
Johnston County	Samuel Smith, jun. [31]
Johnston County	Henry Rains
Johnston County	Needham Bryan, jun. [32]
Martin County	Whitmell Hill
Martin County	Kenneth McKenzie
Martin County	Edward Smithwick
Martin County	Thomas Wiggins [33]
Martin County	William Williams [34]
Mecklenburg County	John McKnitt Alexander
Mecklenburg County	Robert Irwin
Mecklenburg County	John Phifer
New Hanover County	John Ashe
New Hanover County	Samuel Ashe
New Hanover County	John DeVane
New Hanover County	John Hollingsworth
New Hanover County	Sampson Mosely
Northampton County	Jeptha Atherton
Northampton County	Howell Edmunds
Northampton County	Drewry Gee
Northampton County	Eaton Haynes
Northampton County	Allen Jones [35]
Northampton County	Samuel Lockhart
Northampton County	Eaton Haynes
Onslow County	Benjamin Doty
Onslow County	John King
Onslow County	George Mitchell
Onslow County	John Norman
Onslow County	John Spicer [36]
Orange County	Thomas Burke
Orange County	John Butler [37]
Orange County	John Kinchen [38]
Orange County	Nathaniel Rochester
Orange County	James Saunders
Pasquotank County	Henry Abbot [39]
Pasquotank County	Thomas Boyd [40]
Pasquotank County	Dempsey Burgess
Pasquotank County	William Cumming
Pasquotank County	Joseph Jones
Perquimans County	Charles Blount
Perquimans County	Miles Harvey [41]
Perquimans County	Thomas Harvey [42]
Perquimans County	Charles Moore
Perquimans County	William Skinner
Pitt County	William Robeson
Pitt County	Edward Salter
Pitt County	John Simpson [43]
Rowan County	John Johnston
Rowan County	Matthew Locke
Rowan County	Griffith Rutherford
Surry County	Charles Gordon
Surry County	Joseph Williams
Surry County	Joseph Winston
Tryon County	James Johnston [44]
Tryon County	Charles McLean
Tyrrell County	Archibald Corry
Wake County	John Hinton [45]
Wake County	William Hooper
Wake County	Tignal Jones
Wake County	Joel Lane [46]
Wake County	John Rand
Town of Bath	William Brown [47]
Edenton	Joseph Hewes
Newbern	Abner Nash
Wilmington	Cornelius Harnett
Brunswick	not represented
Halifax	Willie Jones [note 2]
Halifax	John Webb [note 2]
Hillsborough	William Johnston [48]
Salisbury	David Nesbitt
Campbelton [note 3]	Arthur Council [49]

References

Footnotes

1. Possibly the father of William Murfree
2. Willie Jones had to leave the provincial congress because he was elected by the Continental Congress to serve as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. John Webb replaced him.
3. Campbelton became part of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1783.

Citations

1. Butler, Lindley (2006). Powell, William Stevens (ed.). Encyclopedia of North Carolina, Provincial Congresses. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 917–918. ISBN   0807830712.
2. "State Library of North Carolina. Information page for Tryon Palace". Archived from the original on May 3, 2008.
3. Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, North Carolina. Provincial Congress, April 04, 1776 - May 14, 1776. Vol. 10. pp. 499–590. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
4. Agan, Kelly (2012). "North Carolina Manual: Halifax Resolves". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
5. Marshall, Elain F., ed. (2005). North Carolina Manual of 2005-2006 (PDF). p. 95. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
6. Lewis, J. D. "4th Provincial Congress". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
7. Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina Issued by the North Carolina Historical Commission for the Use of Members of the General Assembly Session 1913 . Retrieved August 13, 2019.
8. Norris, David A. (2006). "Borough Towns". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
9. Parramore, Thomas C. (1979). "John Campbell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
10. Starnes, Sam (2013). "Thomas Amis". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
11. Smith, Maud Thomas (1994). "Thomas Robeson, Jr". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
12. Lewis, J.D. "Patriot Leaders in North Carolina, Willis Alston". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
13. Maupin, Armistead Jones (1988). "Philemon Hawkins, III". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
14. Malone, E. T. Jr. (1988). "Green Hill, Jr". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
15. Littleton, Tucker (1979). "John Backhouse". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
16. Bair, Anna Withers (1988). "Samuel Johnston". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
17. Powell, William S. (1988). "Thomas Jones". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
18. Maupin, Armistead Jones (1979). "Jacob Blount". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
19. Fields, William C. (1979). "Farquhard Campbell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
20. Lewis, J.D. "Thomas Rutherford". carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
21. Watson, Alan D. (1991). "Gideon Lamb" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
22. Lewis, J.D. "Colonel Solomon Perkins". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
23. Powell, William S. (1996). "James White". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
24. Ingram, Charles M. (1986). "William Dickson". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
25. Taylor, R. Hargus (1979). "Elisha Battle". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
26. Watson, Alan D. (1988). "William Haywood". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
27. O'Donnell, John Burke Jr. (1988). "Henry Irwin". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
28. Smith, Claiborne T. Jr. (1991). "Duncan Lamon". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
29. Bell, John L. Jr. (1986). "Ralph Gorrell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019. His grandfather was Ralph Gorrell, Jr. (1735–1816), … Ralph, Jr., was a member of the Halifax Provincial Congresses of April and December 1776,
30. Smith, Claiborne T. Jr. (1979). "Laurence Baker". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
31. Lewis, J.D. "Samuel Smith". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
32. Lewis, J.D. "Needham Bryan". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
33. Lewis, J.D. "Thomas Wiggins". Carolina.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
34. Lewis, J.D. "William Williamson". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
35. Howerton, Timothy L. (1988). "Allen Jones". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
36. Smith, William S. Jr. (1994). "John Spicer" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
37. Butler, Lindley S. (1979). "John Butler" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
38. Lewis, Henry W. (1988). "John Kinchen". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
39. Cotton, Jerry W. (1979). "Henry Abbot". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
40. Lewis, J.D. "Thomas Boyd". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
41. O'Donell, John Burke Jr. (1988). "Miles Harvey". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
42. Lewis, J.D. "Thomas Harvey". carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
43. Maupin, Armistead J. (1994). "John Simpson". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
44. Asbury, Hayden (2013). "Colonel James Johnston". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
45. Hodges, Eudora Coleman (1988). "John Hinton" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
46. Reid, Elizabeth Davis (1991). "Joel Lane" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
47. Lewis, J.D. "William Brown". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
48. Powell, William S. (1988). "William Johnston". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
49. Rockwell, Paul A. (1979). "Arthur Council" . Retrieved November 2, 2019.

Further reading

• Lamm, Alan (2006). Powell, William Stevens (ed.). Encyclopedia of North Carolina, First North Carolina Conflicts and the Establishment of a Provincial Government. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 40–41. ISBN   0807830712.
• Kughler, Frances Vandeveer. "Murals at the UNC School of Government, including a depiction of the 4th Provincial Congress". UNC School of Government. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
• Powell, William S. (1988). North Carolina: A History. University of North Carolina Press. p. 248. ISBN   0807842192.
• Connor, R.D.W. (1916). Revolutionary Leaders of North Carolina., North Carolina State Normal & Industrial, College Historical Publications, Number 2