As the United States continues to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the nation has spent a lot of time remembering the success and strength of the Patriots who fought for their freedom from tyranny. From where we stand today, it is difficult to imagine opposing such a righteous cause, but those who fought for the British Crown were just as diverse and complex as their rebellious counterparts. In this episode, we’re dissecting some of the varied reasons why supporting independence in 1776 was not the obvious choice that it is now.
Joining our host John Horan for this discussion of controversy and loyalty is Reference Archivist Katie Crickmore, Information Management Archivist Michelle Witt, and Imaging Specialist Erin Templeton.
Primary Sources:
Halifax Resolves. Secretary of State, Revolutionary War Records, Fourth Provincial Congress, SR.12.13.3.006.
Josiah Martin Proclamation – 1776. British Records, Loyalist Claims, Record ID: 21.3.15.17.
“Diplomacy talks with Cherokee.” Secretary of State Records, SR.12.13.3.11. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/continental-congress-records-diplomacy-talks-with-the-cherokee-nation-and-the-muskogee-nation-april-15-1776/433430?item=433436.
“Letter from General Rutherford to the Council of Safety about the expedition against the Cherokees, July 5th, 1776.” Secretary of State, Council of Safety, SR.12.13.3.00511. https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr10-0275.
Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation. The Virginian Gazette, 25 November 1775, p. 3, Container ID: NSP.5.
“Joseph Hart ordered to take the Oath of Allegiance or Exit North Carolina.” Granville County, Miscellaneous Records, CR.044.928.26.
“Article concerning the departure of loyalists.” NC Gazette, New Bern, 25 July 1777, Container ID: 18Cen-2.
Confiscation – Cornell v. Spyers Singleton – 1786. District Court Records, New Bern District, Miscellaneous Records, SR.398.6, Box 39.
“Petition to the General Assembly from Mary Lewellin, John Llewelyn’s wife.” GASR, Nov-Dec 1777: Senate Joint Resolutions, Record ID: 66.8.10.9.2, Box 1.
“Narrative of Colonel David Fanning, Written by himself, Detailing Astonishing Events in North Carolina, from 1775 to 1783.” David Fanning Paper collection, PC.489.
“An Act of Pardon and Oblivion.” GASR, Session Laws, 1783, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/acts-of-assembly-of-the-state-of-north-carolina-1783-april/3691863?item=4230279.
“The Proceedings of the Long Island of Holston River with Cherokee Nations; Avery Treaty, 1777.” Governor’s Office, GO.132, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/proceedings-of-the-treaty-of-the-long-island-of-holston-river-with-cherokee-nations-avery-treaty/6153047.
Allen MacDonald – 1784. British Records, Loyalist Claims, Record ID: 21.3.6.2.
William Hooper Papers. PC.1141.
Secondary Sources:
“From Regulators to Revolution: The War of Regulation.” Connecting the Docs, 15 January 2025, https://connectingdocs.podbean.com/?s=regulators.
Morrow, Megan. “Thomas Peters: Black Loyalist, Politician, and a Founding Father of Sierra Leone.” ANCHOR. Library of NC. February 2025, https://www.ncanchor.org/anchor/thomas-peters.
Kassa, Kemisa. "The Black Pioneers Loyalist Company." ANCHOR. Library of NC. 2024, https://www.ncanchor.org/anchor/black-pioneers-loyalist.
