General Assembly sessions at Hillsborough, 1778–1784

In the chronology

Dated events connected with this event, earliest first. See these 15 dated events in the chronology →

1. August 8–19, 1778 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. People: Thomas Benbury, Allen Jones, Thomas BurkeColonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons, Aug 08 to Aug 19, 1778 (vol. 12, pp. 816–880)
2. August 14, 1778 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. People: Thomas Burke, William HooperNash, Hillsboro, Colonial and Revolutionary (1903), p. 66
3. September 5–13, 1780 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. People: Alexander Martin, Abner Nash, Thomas BenburyColonial and State Records of North Carolina: Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1780 (September session; vol. 24, pp. 344–357)
4. September 12, 1780 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.Search the index · NCpedia: Caswell, Richard
5. September–November 1780 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. People: John PennSearch the index · Colonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the North Carolina Board of War, Sep 14, 1780 to Jan 30, 1781 (vol. 14, pp. 376–495)
6. December 3, 1781 (as printed) 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.Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 65
7. 1782 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.Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, vol. 24, Laws of 1782, ch. XVII, p. 448 (repeal: Laws of 1783, ch. XXIII, pp. 510-511)
8. April 15–May 18, 1782 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. People: Alexander Martin, Thomas Benbury, Hugh Williamson, Thomas BurkeColonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the North Carolina Senate, Apr 15 to May 18, 1782 (vol. 19, pp. 1–128)
9. April 30, 1782 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. People: John Butler, David Fanning, Thomas BurkeLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 62
10. April 1782 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.Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 63
11. May 3, 1782 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. People: Hugh Williamson, Benjamin Hawkins, William BlountSearch the index · Colonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons, Apr 16 to May 18, 1782 (vol. 16, pp. 1–177)
12. April 18–May 17, 1783 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. People: Alexander Martin, Abner Nash, Hugh Williamson, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Richard Caswell, Benjamin HawkinsColonial and State Records of North Carolina: Minutes of the North Carolina Senate, Apr 18 to May 17, 1783 (vol. 19, pp. 129–232)
13. April 19–June 3, 1784 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. People: Alexander Martin, Hugh Williamson, Thomas Benbury, Richard Dobbs SpaightColonial and State Records of North Carolina: Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1784 (Apr 19 to Jun 03, 1784; vol. 24, pp. 543–649)
14. 1785 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.Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 64
15. November 1786 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.Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 64-65