Compare And Contrast The Revolutionary War And The Regulator Movement

Before America's independence, American colonists were treated extremely poorly. Citizens were given few rights, had outrageous taxes, and unfair trade restrictions. The Revolutionary War was not the first time these citizens fought back. There was a movement that was a precursor to the Revolutionary War, called the Regulator Movement, that occurred in North Carolina. This movement occurred in the late-1700s, and is extremely similar to the Revolutionary War that occurred a few years later. Both the Revolutionary War and the Regulator Movement were fueled by the same socioeconomic issues and religious beliefs, and both have key spots in America's fight for independence. The North Carolina Regulator Movement was a rebellion against local

Husband led the movement of the North Carolina backcountry citizens against corruption in their local government, which was known to be corrupt. As historian William S. Powell states, "Elections for the assembly were conducted by the sheriff but with little or no supervision of the polls. Influential men generally brought out a candidate and assured his election." (pg. 6). Many government officials had been appointed by England rather than elected, which created a sense of distrust between the government and the citizens of North Carolina. A new governor was later appointed, and he allowed no communication between the rebels and himself. The new governor, named William Tryon, was known for the creation of Tryon's Palace, his huge home funded by colonist's taxes. Tryon's poor use of colonists' money further fueled the rebellion. After several protests, citizens began to threaten local government and mobs formed against government workers, including officer Edmund Fanning. Fanning held several offices and had been appointed by the state, not the people. He was eventually found by mobs, attacked, and his house

The Great Awakening instilled a great sense of pride in colonists, and the biggest supporters of Evangelism would soon become the greatest rebels against England. The common Evangelist bond among many colonists created more comradery among them then North Carolina authority. The roots of much of American Colonists’ society was based on Evangelist ethics, which came primarily from the Great Awakening that occurred in the early 1700s, just after the Seven Years War. The Great Awakening also harkened the appearance of new denominations such as Baptist and Methodist. Many colonists in America had moved there to avoid religious persecution, so many families innately held government distrust. This also caused outbreaks of Republicanism to spread within the colonies. Soon a Protestant distaste of government was present in much of North Carolina. (Powell. "Encyclopedia of North Carolina: The Regulator Movement") This, when combined with North Carolina’s penchant for lawlessness created a recipe for protest and rebellion which became the Regulator