Third North Carolina Provincial Congress (1775) | |||||
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Overview | |||||
Legislative body | North Carolina Provincial Congress | ||||
Jurisdiction | North Carolina, United States | ||||
Meeting place | Hillsborough, North Carolina | ||||
Term | 1775 | ||||
Members | 213 Delegates (35 counties, 9 towns/districts) | ||||
President | Samuel Johnston | ||||
Secretary | Andrew Knox | ||||
Assistant Secretary | James Glasgow | ||||
Sessions | |||||
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The Third North Carolina Provincial Congress was the third of five extra-legal unicameral bodies that met between 1774 and 1776 in North Carolina. They were modeled after the colonial lower house (House of Burgesses). These congresses created a government structure, issued bills of credit to pay for the movement, and organized an army for defense, in preparation for the state of North Carolina. These congresses paved the way for the first meeting of the North Carolina General Assembly on April 7, 1777 in New Bern, North Carolina. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
The third congress met in Hillsborough, from August 20 to September 10, 1775. Its president was Samuel Johnston (The Second congress president, John Harvey had recently died). [4] [5]
This congress, which included representatives of all 35 counties and nine towns (also called districts), officially established itself as the highest governmental body in the province after British Governor Josiah Martin had fled, ending royal government rule. The last Province of North Carolina General Assembly had met on April 4–8, 1775 before Governor Martin disbanded its House of Burgesses. [3] [4]
The congress divided the state into 6 military districts for purposes of organizing militia and for determining representation on a new Provincial Council. These districts included Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, Salisbury, and Wilmington. Later, an additional district, Morgan, was added for the western part of the state, including counties that eventually became part of Tennessee (Davidson, Greene, and Washington). Much of the deliberations of the congress dealt with safety of its residents and preparation for war with Great Britain. [6] [4] [5]
To govern North Carolina when the congress was not in session, a 13-member Provincial Council was elected, constituting the first executive body in a North Carolina free of British rule. Cornelius Harnett was elected as the first president of the council. [4] [5]
The following members were elected to the council by the delegates: [5]
The delegates formed a Committee of Safety at the state level. The delegates also elected members of the military district Committees of Safety "for their common defence against their Enemies, for the Security of their Liberties and properties". These committees at the district level would become the roots of the militias. The following persons were elected to the Committees of Safety for military districts: [5]
There were 213 delegates, representing 35 counties and 8 towns/districts in North Carolina.
Notes:
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The North Carolina Provincial Congress was an extralegal representative assembly patterned after the colonial lower house that existed in North Carolina from 1774 to 1776. It led the transition from British provincial to U.S. state government in North Carolina. It established a revolutionary government, issued bills of credit to finance the provincial government, provided for the common defense, and adopted the state's first constitution.
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