On this day 250 years ago in New Bern, North Carolina, “a general meeting of deputies of the Inhabitants of this province” led by John Harvey elected North Carolina’s Delegation for the First Continental Congress. The three Delegates to the Continental Congress would all go to be recognized as Founding Fathers from North Carolina. Joseph Hewes and William Hooper would sign the Continental Association in the First Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence in the Second Continental Congress. Richard Caswell would sign the Continental Association but was not a member of the Second Continental Congress because he remained in North Carolina to command the State’s militia and was elected as independent North Carolina’s first Governor.
John Harvey was North Carolina’s leading Patriot in the years before the Revolutionary War began. After Royal Governor Martin refused to call a meeting of the Assembly, Harvey convened North Carolina’s First Provincial Congress, which met from August 25 through August 27. 1774. In addition to electing delegates to the Continental Congress, the First Provincial Congress banned the trans-Atlantic slave trade and trade with Britain and delegated to county committees responsibility for enforcing a ban on the import and sale of tea. Harvey also led the Second Provincial Congress in April 1775 that further sent North Carolina on the path to Independence. John Harvey is little remembered today, however, because he fell from his horse and died from his injuries at home in May 1775.
Sources: https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/harvey-john-0; https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/north-carolina-delegates-first-continental-congress/
Also on this date 250 years ago in Union, Connecticut, Abijah Willard published a retraction of his oath of office for the position of Mandamus Councillor to Governor Gage of Massachusetts and apologized for his offense to his neighbors in Massachusetts. The Governor had appointed Willard to the position earlier in the month under the authority of the Massachusetts Government Act. Willard was traveling in Connecticut when he was seized by Patriots and was released after five days when he finally agreed to resign from his position.
On This Day In The Revolution 