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1. Revolution and early republic · 1775–1799

2. August 8–19, 1778
   Law, policy or court · Hillsborough General Assembly holds its August 1778 session at Hillsborough

   The second session of the 1778 General Assembly met at Hillsborough, elected Whitmell Hill and Thomas Burke as additional delegates to the Continental Congress, and authorized 850,000 pounds in bills of credit to pay the state's war debts. The House adjourned to meet next at Halifax in January 1779.

3. August 14, 1778
   Law, policy or court · Hillsborough The Assembly at Hillsborough clears Thomas Burke in his quarrel with Congress

   Congress had referred Burke's conduct to North Carolina after he walked out to break a quorum and sent back a rough answer when summoned. A joint committee chaired by William Hooper reported on August 14 that he was answerable only to the state, and the Assembly, which had re-elected him to Congress two days earlier, adopted the report.

4. September 5–13, 1780
   Founding or opening · Hillsborough General Assembly meets at Hillsborough and creates a Board of War

   Meeting at Hillsborough under Governor Abner Nash, the Assembly levied a provision tax in kind to supply the army and navy, passed acts on treason trials and confiscated property, and created a five-member Board of War. The Board of War held its first meeting in Hillsborough on September 14, 1780.

5. September 12, 1780
   Appointment, election or service · Hillsborough General Assembly at Hillsborough relieves Richard Caswell of command of the state militia

   After commanding the North Carolina militia in the defeat at Camden, Caswell reported to the General Assembly sitting at Hillsborough. On September 12 the Assembly took his illness into account and relieved him temporarily of command of the state militia, leaving him the separate command of the North Carolina Partisan Rangers.

6. September–November 1780
   Founding or opening · Hillsborough Board of War, led by Alexander Martin, directs the war effort from Hillsborough

   The Board of War created by the General Assembly first met at Hillsborough on September 14, 1780, with Alexander Martin, John Penn and Oroondates Davis present. Through the fall it issued orders for arms, provisions and militia from the town and ran a shoe factory there for the army, then rose in late November to sit at Halifax from December 1.

7. December 3, 1781 (as printed)
   Law, policy or court · Hillsborough The Assembly levies a tax on the Hillsborough District to repair the courthouse, stocks and streets

   An act taxed residents of the district and the town, with the money going to repair the courthouse and stocks and the town's streets.

8. 1782
   Law, policy or court · Hillsborough The General Assembly names Hillsborough its meeting place until a seat of government is fixed

   An act of the April 1782 session, held at Hillsborough, directed that future General Assemblies meet there until a proper place was fixed for the seat of government. With the war over, the April 1783 session, also at Hillsborough, repealed it.

9. April 15–May 18, 1782
   Appointment, election or service · Hillsborough General Assembly at Hillsborough elects Alexander Martin governor and grants western land to Continental soldiers

   The Assembly met at Hillsborough, heard Governor Thomas Burke's message about his capture, and elected Alexander Martin governor on April 22. Its laws granted land in a western military reservation to officers and soldiers of the Continental line and directed the sale of confiscated Loyalist estates.

10. April 30, 1782
    Violence or armed conflict · Hillsborough A false alarm of a Fanning attack turns the legislators out into Hillsborough's streets

    With the General Assembly in session and General John Butler guarding it with 200 county militia, members were roused from bed and paraded in the streets before the report proved false. Fanning had in fact married and fled to South Carolina.

11. April 1782
    Property or economic transaction · Hillsborough William Moore is named commissioner of confiscated Loyalist estates for the Hillsborough District

    The April Assembly at Hillsborough appointed commissioners to deal with estates taken from Loyalists, electing William Moore for the Hillsborough District.

12. May 3, 1782
    Appointment, election or service · Hillsborough Assembly at Hillsborough elects Abner Nash and Hugh Williamson delegates to Congress

    On May 3, 1782, a joint ballot of the General Assembly at Hillsborough elected Abner Nash, Hugh Williamson, Benjamin Hawkins and William Blount as the state's delegates to Congress for the year. Nash had been returned to the House for Jones County, and Williamson sat for the town of Edenton.

13. April 18–May 17, 1783
    Law, policy or court · Hillsborough General Assembly at Hillsborough opens the western land office and passes an act of pardon

    Meeting at Hillsborough, the Assembly re-elected Alexander Martin governor and chose Hugh Williamson, Benjamin Hawkins, Abner Nash and Richard Dobbs Spaight as delegates to Congress. Its laws opened a land office for western lands to redeem specie certificates and pay army arrears, and an Act of Pardon and Oblivion covered wartime offenses, with exceptions.

14. April 19–June 3, 1784
    Law, policy or court · Hillsborough General Assembly at Hillsborough cedes the state's western lands to Congress

    The spring 1784 Assembly at Hillsborough passed an act ceding to Congress the state's claim to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and an act giving Congress power to levy import duties. The House of Commons chose Thomas Benbury as speaker and elected Hugh Williamson and Richard Dobbs Spaight as delegates to Congress.

15. 1785
    Law, policy or court · Hillsborough A bill to make Hillsborough the state capital fails by four votes

    Hillsborough's backers pressed the question from session to session, and in 1785 a bill to fix the capital there lost 41 to 37.

16. November 1786
    Law, policy or court · Hillsborough The Assembly orders the state treasurer and comptroller to move their offices to Hillsborough

    Meeting at Fayetteville, the Assembly directed both officers to take their offices and records to Hillsborough so they would be convenient to most of the state's people. The comptroller was slow to comply, and a year later the order was repeated.

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Compiled and maintained by the Friends of the Orange County Public Library from county records, the sources named on each card, and the index’s event pages. Last updated October 2, 2026.