Second North Carolina Provincial Congress

The Second North Carolina Provincial Congress was a meeting of the provincial congress of the de facto provincial government of North Carolina, composed of 107 delegates from 33 counties (three not being represented) and nine towns. The congress convened in Newbern, on April 3, 1775, and ended on April 7, 1775, during the final two years of Josiah Martin's gubernatorial administration. Colonel John Harvey was unanimously chosen as moderator.

History The Second Provincial Congress met at Newbern, from April 3 to 7, 1775. John Harvey served as moderator. The congress met at the same place and almost the same time as the North Carolina provincial assembly and had almost exactly the same membership (61 of the 107 delegates attended both). This infuriated Governor Josiah Martin, who prorogued the House of Burgesses on April 8, 1775, and never called another.

Resolutions The Second Provincial Congress approved the Continental Association, an economic boycott of Great Britain authorized by the First Continental Congress. Just after the congress met, news reached North Carolina about the Battle of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. On May 24, 1775, British governor Josiah Martin fled the Governor's Palace at Newbern, ending sixty-three continuous years of colonial rule. The first military action of the American Revolutionary War within North Carolina took place on July 18, 1775, when the provincial militia burned Fort Johnston, North Carolina, where Governor Martin had previously transferred his headquarters.

Delegates

The following is a full list of delegates to the second congress by constituency.

ConstituencyNameMember of General AssemblyAnson CountySamuel SpencerAnson CountyWilliam ThomasBeaufort CountyRoger OrmondYesBeaufort CountyThomas Respess Jr.YesBeaufort CountyWilliam SalterBertie CountyJohn CampbellYesBertie CountyJohn JohnstonYesBertie CountyDavid StanleyYesBladen CountyWilliam SaltarYesBladen CountyJames WhiteYesBrunswick CountyRobert HoweYesBrunswick CountyJohn RowanYesBute CountyThomas EatonBute CountyGreen HillYesBute CountyWilliam PersonYesBute CountyJames RansomCarteret CountySolomon ShepardYesCarteret CountyWilliam ThompsonYesChatham CountyNot representedChowan CountyThomas BenburyYesChowan CountyThomas HunterYesChowan CountySamuel JohnstonYesChowan CountyThomas JonesYesChowan CountyThomas OldhamYesCravenWilliam BryanCraven CountyRichard CogdellCraven CountyJacob BlountCraven CountyJames CoorYesCraven CountyJoseph LeechCraven CountyLemuel HatchYesCumberland CountyFarquard CampbellYesCumberland CountyThomas RutherfordYesCurrituck CountySamuel JarvisYesCurrituck CountyNathan JoynerNathan Joyner was recorded as Poyner.YesCurrituck CountyThomas McKnightYesCurrituck CountySolomon PerkinsYesCurrituck CountyFrancis WilliamsonYesDobbs CountyRichard CaswellYesDobbs CountyWilliam McKinnieYesDobbs CountyGeorge MillerDobbs CountySimon BrightDuplin CountyWilliam DicksonDuplin CountyThomas GrayDuplin CountyThomas HicksDuplin CountyJames KenanEdgecombe CountyNot representedGranville CountyMemucan HuntGranville CountyRobert MontfortGranville CountyRobert WilliamsGranville CountyJohn PaineGranville CountyThomas PersonYesGuilford CountyAlexander MartinHalifax CountyWillie JonesHalifax CountyNicholas LongYesHalifax CountyBenjamin McCullochYesHertford CountyJoseph WorthHertford CountyGeorge WynnsYesHyde CountyRotheas LathamHyde CountySamuel SmithJohnston CountyNeedham BryanYesJohnston CountyBenjamin WilliamsYesMartin CountyEdmund SmithwickMecklenburg CountyBenjamin PattenNew Hanover CountyJohn Baptista AsheYesNew Hanover CountyWilliam HooperYesNorthampton CountyJeptha AthertonYesNorthampton CountyAllen JonesYesOnslow CountyWilliam CrayYesOnslow CountyHenry RhodesYesOnslow CountyEdward StarkeyOrange CountyThomas BurkeOrange CountyThomas HartYesOrange CountyJohn KinchenPasquotank CountyEdward EveraginYesPasquotank CountyJonathan HerringYesPasquotank CountyJoseph JonesYesPasquotank CountyIsaac GregoryYesPasquotank CountyJoseph ReadingYesPerquimans CountyJohn HarveyYesPerquimans CountyThomas HarveyYesPerquimans CountyAndrew KnoxYesPerquimans CountyJohn WhedbeeYesPerquimans CountyBenjamin HarveyPitt CountyJames GorhamPitt CountyJames LanierPitt CountyWilliam RobesonPitt CountyEdward SalterYesPitt CountyJohn SimpsonYesRowan CountyGriffith RutherfordRowan CountyWilliam SharpeSurry CountyNot representedTryon CountyDavid JenkinsTryon CountyRobert AlexanderTyrrell CountyJeremiah FrazierYesTyrrell CountyBenjamin SpruillYesTyrrell CountyJoseph SpruillYesWake CountyJohn HintonWake CountyTignal JonesWake CountyMichael RogersNewbern TownAbner NashNewbern TownJames DavisEdentonJoseph HewesYesWilmingtonCornelius HarnettYesBathWilliam BrownYesHalifax TownJohn WebbHalifax TownJoseph MontfortHillsboroughFrancis NashYesSalisburyWilliam KennonBrunswick TownParker QuinceYesCampbeltonCampbelton became part of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1783.Robert RowanYes

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