The Halifax Resolves was a name later given to the
resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...
adopted by the
North Carolina Provincial Congress
The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government. There were five congresses. They ...
on April 12, 1776. The adoption of the resolution was the first official action in the
American Colonies calling for independence from
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
. The Halifax Resolves helped pave the way for the presentation to Congress of the
United States Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...
less than three months later.
Background
The creation and ratification of the resolves was the result of a strong movement in the colonies advocating separation from
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. These separatists, or "
American Whigs" (later, "Patriots"), sought to mobilize public support for a much discussed and all encompassing declaration of independence. The primary impediment to an outright declaration of independence from Great Britain was that none of the delegates to the
Second Continental Congress were authorized by their home governments to take any action that would lead to such a declaration. Advocates of independence therefore sought to revise the instructions to each congressional delegation and remove any restrictions regarding a declaration of independence.
History
The resolution of April 12, 1776, became known as the Halifax Resolves because the
Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina adopted them while meeting in the town of
Halifax, North Carolina
Halifax is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 234 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Halifax County. It is known as "The Birthplace of Freedom" for being the location for the April 12, 1776, adopt ...
. The 83 delegates present unanimously adopted the resolves, which encouraged delegates to the Continental Congress from all the colonies to finally push for independence. The adoption of the Halifax Resolves was the first official action in the colonies calling for independence from Great Britain.
[, from ''North Carolina Manual'', 2012; Kelly Agan, Government & Heritage Library, 2017]
Drive to independence
The Halifax Resolves only empowered North Carolina's three delegates to the
Second Continental Congress (
Joseph Hewes
Joseph Hewes (July 9, 1730– November 10, 1779) was an American Founding Father, a signer of the Continental Association and U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a native of Princeton, New Jersey, where he was born in 1730. Hewes's parents were ...
,
William Hooper
William Hooper (June 28, 1742 October 14, 1790) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and politician. As a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina, Hooper signed the Continental Association and the Declaration of ...
, and
John Penn) to join with those from other colonies to declare independence from Great Britain's rule.
With the passage of the resolves, North Carolina became the first colony to explicitly permit their delegates to vote in favor of independence.
[''NC History''](_blank)
article at "Learn NC" online; retrieved December 15, 2012 The Halifax Resolves, however, stopped short of instructing North Carolina's delegates to introduce a resolution of independence to Congress,
a step which was taken by
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in June with the adoption of the
Lee Resolution
The Lee Resolution (also known as "The Resolution for Independence") was the formal assertion passed by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776 which resolved that the Thirteen Colonies in America (at the time referred to as United Colo ...
The
Second Continental Congress issued the
United States Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...
the following month, in July.
Legacy
Every year, on April 12, the
Halifax Historic District
Halifax Historic District is a national historic district located at Halifax, Halifax County, North Carolina, US that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It includes several buildings that are individually listed on ...
, a historic site operated by the
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is a cabinet-level department within the state government of North Carolina dedicated to overseeing projects in the arts, culture, and history within the borders of the state. The cur ...
, celebrates
Halifax Day
The following are minor or locally celebrated holidays related to the American Revolution.
A Great Jubilee Day
A Great Jubilee Day, first organized May 26, 1783 in North Stratford, now Trumbull, Connecticut, celebrated end of major fighting in ...
. Interpreters in period costumes provide guided tours of historic buildings, demonstrate historic crafts and teach about colonial activities. Occasionally, reenactors portray revolutionary-era soldiers and demonstrate the use of historic weapons during the Halifax Day events.
''Halifax Day''
"North Carolina Historic Sites" online; retrieved April 2013
References
External links
Historic Halifax
{{Authority control
1776 in the United States
Documents of the American Revolution
Halifax County, North Carolina
North Carolina in the American Revolution
United States documents