| This guide will
assist researchers studying the Revolutionary era (1763-1789) in
North Carolina using materials in the North Carolina Collection,
located in Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. This is intended only as a starting place -- researchers
are encouraged to search the UNC library's online catalog and the
North Carolina Collection's card catalog for further information.
Compiled by Laura Smith, October 2005
Subject Headings
To begin your search using the library's online catalog (www.lib.unc.edu),
choose "LC Subject" from the drop-down menu and type in
the subjects terms.
North Carolina---History---Revolution, 1775-1783
North Carolina---History---Regulator Insurrection, 1766-1771
North Carolina---Politics and government---1775-1783
The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.
ed. Jack P. Greene and J.R. Pole. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwells,
1991. C970.3 B632g
Collection of articles on the American Revolution. Good source
for readings on the colonies as well as major contemporary issues.
Articles have bibliography at the end.
Revolutionary America, 1763-1789: A Bibliography. Compiled
by Ronald M. Gephart. Two volumes. Washington, D.C.: Library of
Congress, 1984. C016.9703 G35r
Bibliography of sources about the Revolutionary War in the Library
of Congress. Extensive coverage of all regions and topics, listing
both primary and secondary sources.
Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Mark Mayo Boatner
III. New York: D. McKay Co., 1966. CR970.3 B66e
Alphabetical listing of key people, places, and events.
Atlas of the American Revolution. Map selection by Kenneth
Nebenzahl, narrative text by Don Higginbotham. Chicago: Rand McNally,
1974. FC912 A88
Contemporary maps of various campaigns and battles as well as
a wealth of additional illustrations.
A Chronicle of North Carolina During the American Revolution,
1763-1789. Jeffrey J. Crow. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural
Resources, Division of Archives and History, 1975. CR970.3
C95c
Pamphlet "examines significant events and developments
from the implementation of Great Britain's 'new colonial policy'
in 1763 to North Carolina's ratification of the Federal Constitution
in 1789."
North Carolina and the Coming of the Revolution, 1763-1776.
Lindley S. Butler. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources,
Division of Archives and History, 1976. CR970.2 B98n
Traces the development of the Revolution from the initial resistance
to the outbreak of violence. Excellent bibliographic essay is
included in the back.
The Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, 1662-1790.
compiled and edited by William L. Sauders and William Clark. 28
volumes. Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot Pub. Co., 1993-94. CR328
R32
Includes state laws, census of 1790, index, and historical review.
The Black Experience in North Carolina. Jeffrey J. Crow.
Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources, Division of
Archives and History, 1977. C326 C95b
Includes bibliographic essay.
The North Carolina Continentals. Hugh F. Rankin. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1971. CR970.3
R21n1
Examination of the activities of the North Carolina Continental
troops throughout the Revolutionary War.
Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775-1781. W.J. Wood.
Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1990. C970.33
W88b
Chapter seven examines the Battle of King's Mountain and chapter
nine examines the Battle of Guilford County Courthouse.
North Carolina's Revolutionary War Navy. William N. Still,
Jr. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources, Division
of Archives and History, 1976. CR970.35 S85n
Examination of the role of North Carolina in the maritime fight
for independence. Bibliographic essay in the back is an excellent
reference for researchers seeking primary source material on the
subject.
Revolutionary War Patriot Militiamen of Southeastern North
Carolina. John Marion Holden. Graduate thesis. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina, 1988. C378 UO2 1988 Holden,
J.M.
"This study examines the nature of Patriot militia service
during the American Revolution and the socioeconomic status of
citizen-soldiers. Profiles of eighteen militiamen of southeastern
North Carolina are based on pension applications, tax lists, wills,
and estate inventories."
The Role of the North Carolina Militia in the Beginning of
the American Revolution. E. Milton Wheeler. Graduate thesis.
Tulane University, 1969. C970.3 W56r
Examines the role of the North Carolina militia from 1774-1776.
King's Mountain: The Defeat of the Loyalists, October 7, 1780.
Battleground America series. J. David Dameron. Cambridge, MA:
Da Capo Press, 2003. C970.3 D157k
Examination of the battle with information about touring the
site; includes pictures of the site as it appears today.
Military Engagement and Military Casualties in North Carolina
During the American Revolution. [Abstracted from Howard H.
Peckham, editor, The Toll of Independence: Engagements & Battle
Casualties of the American Revolution. (Chicago: 1974).] [19--?].
C970.3 P36t1
Lists all battles and casualties in North Carolina during the
war.
The Lost Battle of the Alamance, also Known as the Battle of
Clapp's Mill: A Turning Point in North Carolina's Struggle with
Their British Invaders in the Very Unusual Year of 1781. Rollin
M. Steele, Jr. 1993. C970.3 S814L
Fight or Flee: The Combat Performance of the North Carolina
Militia in the Cowpens-Guilford Courthouse Campaign, January to
March 1781. James Boone Bartholomees, Jr. Graduate thesis.
Duke University, 1977. C970.33 B28f
The Road to Guilford Courthouse: The American Revolution in
the Carolinas. John Buchanan. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., 1997. C970.33 B91r
Comprehensive examination of the revolution in the Carolinas;
includes an annotated bibliography.
This Destructive War: The British Campaign in the Carolinas,
1780-1782. John S. Pancake. Tuscaloosa, AL: The University
of Alabama Press, 1985. C970.33 P188t
Includes excellent bibliographic essay.
The Battle of Ramsour's Mill. William L. Carpenter. [Lincolnton,
NC]: Lincoln County Historical Association and Lincoln County Museum
of History, 1995. Cp970.33 C297b
Includes map showing chronological progression of the battle.
The Moores Creek Bridge Campaign, 1776. Hugh F. Rankin.
Conshohocken, PA: Eastern National Park and Monument Association,
c1986. Cp970.33 R21m
Includes fold-out map of the battlefield.
Guilford Courthouse: Nathanael Greene's Victory in Defeat, March
15, 1781. Battleground America series. John Hairr. Cambridge, MA:
Da Capo Press, 2002. C970.33 H154g
Examination of the battle with information about touring the
site; includes pictures of the site as it appears today.
Creation of an American State: Politics in North Carolina,
1765-1789. Penelope Sue Smith. Graduate thesis, two volumes.
Rice University, 1980. C970.2 S656c
Traces the political climate of North Carolina throughout the
Revolutionary period. Volume two contains an extensive bibliography.
"Poor Carolina": Politics and Society in Colonial
North Carolina, 1729-1776. A. Roger Ekirch. Chapel Hill: The
University of North Carolina Press, 1981. C970.2 E36p1
"This book attempts to describe North Carolina's embroiled
politics and, in doing so, to analyze the social determinants
of political instability..." Includes bibliographic essay
and useful appendix.
Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. ed. William S.
Powell. Six volumes. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,
1979-1996. CRBo D55p
Short entries on prominent North Carolinians throughout the
state's history; entries include bibliographies.
Revolutionary War Leaders of North Carolina. R.D.W. Connor.
Greensboro, N.C.: North Carolina State Normal & Industrial College,
1916. CRBo C75r
Detailed biographies of major leaders of the Revolution in North
Carolina.
North Carolina's Signers: Brief Sketches of the Men Who Signed
the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Memory
Mitchell. Raleigh, 1964. CRBo M68n
North Carolinians in the Continental Congress. David T.
Morgan and William J. Schmidt. Winston-Salem, N.C.: J.F. Blair,
c1976. CR970.3 M84n
Chronological discussion "of the North Carolinians who
served in the Continental Congress between 1774 and 1789, including
the years of the Revolutionary War."
The North Carolina Delegates in the Continental Congress, 1774-1781.
William John Schmidt. Graduate thesis. Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina, 1968. C378 UO2 1968 Schmidt, W.J.
Intends "to determine whether these North Carolinians,
collectively and individually, played a major or minor role in
the proceedings of Congress, and to distinguish between the outstanding
and the secondary figures from the North Carolina delegation."
Abstract of Pensions of North Carolina Soldiers of the Revolution,
War of 1812 & Indian Wars. compiled by Annie Walker Burns.
15 volumes, index in each volume. Washington, D.C., n.d. C970.341
B43a
Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution,
With an Appendix Containing a Collection of Miscellaneous Records.
The National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution of North
Carolina. [Durham, N.C.], 1932. CR970.341 D23r
Provides name, rank, company, dates of enlistment and commission,
period of service, and any notable occurences.
North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts: Secretary of State,
Treasurer's & Comptroller's Papers. compiled by Weynette
Parks Haun. 8 volumes. Durham, N.C.: W.P. Haun, c1989. C970.314
H373n
Volunteer Revolutionary War Soldiers from North Carolina.
Carol Leonard Snow. Toast, N.C.: C.L. Snow, c1993. C970.341
L581v
Revolutionary War Soldiers of Western North Carolina.
E. White. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1984. C970.341
W58b
List of entires in alphabetical order that provide details about
the individual soldiers of the Revolutionary War from the western
part of North Carolina.
"Fortitude and Forbearance": The North Carolina Continental
Line in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Lawrence E. Babits
and Joshua B. Howard. Raleigh: Office of Archives and History, North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 2004. C970.341
B114f
List of regiments, officers, engagements of the North Carolina
Continentals, with useful appendix.
Roster of Troops Who Fought at Guilford Court House March 15,
1781. Compiled by Nellie Rowe Jones and Louise A. Sharp. [19--?].
C970.341 J78r
"Contains bibliographic citations for where discussion
of each soldier can be found."
Religion and the American Revolution in North Carolina.
Robert M. Calhoon. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources,
Division of Archives and History, 1976. C970.3 C15r1
Collection of primary materials relating to the experiences
of various religious groups in North Carolina during the Revolution.
North Carolina Quakers in the Era of the American Revolution.
Steven Jay White. Graduate thesis. University of Tennessee at Knoxville,
1981. C289.6 W58n
Traces the role of the Quakers throughout the Revolutionary
period in North Carolina, with special attention to peace movements
and abolitionism.
The North Carolina Moravians in the American Revolution: A
Study of Pacificism in a Christian Communal Society. Michael
Keith Kapp. Honors essay. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina,
1976. C378 UO7 1975/76 v.2
Includes bibliographic essay.
Through Fiery Trials: The Revolutionary War and the Moravians.
C. Daniel Crews. Winston-Salem, N.C.: Moravian Archives, 1996. Cp970.3
C92t
Discussion of the Moravian experience during the Revolutionary
War, with close analysis of their controversial position in terms
of loyalty, geography, and religious values.
Databases containing articles about the Revolutionary War can be
found by going to the library's main page and clicking on the article
databases link. The following are the most prominent collections
of relevant material:
America, History and Life: "An index for
North American history consisting of journal articles, books, book
chapters, dissertations & book reviews." Also indexes articles
from the North Carolina Historical Review. America, History
and Life can be found here: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/description.php?EIDID=218
Early American Imprints, Series I. Evans (1639-1800):
"Evans is the definitive resource for information about every
aspect of life in 17th- and 18th-century America." Early American
Imprints, Series I., can be found here: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/description.php?EIDID=1050
18th Century Collections Online: Search here for
full text access to "nearly 150,000 English-language titles
and editions published between 1701-1800." Contains only published
materials. 18th Century Collections Online can be found here: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/description.php?EIDID=985
JSTOR: Search here for full text articles from
a large range of scholarly journals including William & Mary
Quarterly. JSTOR can be found here: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/description.php?EIDID=243
The Loyalists in North Carolina During the Revolution.
Robert O. DeMond.
Examines military action, legislation, and social factors.
The Loyalist Experience in North Carolina. Carole Watterson
Troxler. Raleigh: North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources, Division
of Archives and History, 1976. C970.3 T86L
Examines the loyalist response to the Revolution, the experience
of the loyalists with the war itself and resultant legal battles,
and the social position and location of North Carolina's exiled
loyalists.
Col. David Fanning's Narrative of His Exploits and Adventures
as a Loyalist of North Carolina in the American Revolution...
David Fanning. Toronto: Reprinted from the Canadian magazine, 1908.
CR970.38 F21n1
The Tory War in North Carolina. Mary Clayton Wyche. Graduate
thesis. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1941. C378
UO2 1941 Wis-Z
Examination of the conflict between the loyalist Tories and
the Patriotic Whigs from 1776-1782, with special emphasis on the
loyalists' role in the British invasion of 1780 and the lasting
effects of the war.
Loyalism as a Political Issue in Revolutionary North Carolina,
1775-1789. Martha Marshall Smith. Graduate thesis. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina, 1978. C378 UO2 1978 Smith,
M.M.
Study of the impact of the loyalism issue on North Carolina's
early political groups, especially in terms of the effects upon
the establishment of a "peaceful post-war security,"
"the government's respect for the provisions of the Treaty
of Paris of 1783 and for private rights," and the "debates
on the ratification of the Federal Constitution."
The Regulators in North Carolina: A Documentary History, 1759-1776.
ed. William S. Powell, James K. Huhta, and Thomas J. Farnham. Raleigh:
State Dept. of Archives and History, 1971. C970.25 P88r
Collection of primary sources concerning the Regulator Insurrection
inculding minutes of meetings, legislation, personal accounts,
etc.
Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary
North Carolina. Marjoleine Kars. Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 2002. C970.25 K18B
Close analysis of the economic, religious, and political issues
and movements that influenced the Regulation in North Carolina.
Backwoods Revolutionaries: Social Context and Constitutional
Theories of the North Carolina Regulators, 1765-1771. James
Penn Whittenburg. Graduate thesis. University of Georgia, 1974.
C970.25 W62b
Close examination of "the complexity of social forces that
prompted the insurrection" and "the constitutional principles
of the rebels."
Herman Husband: Penman of the Regulation. Jon Jay Hamilton.
Graduate thesis. Wake Forest University, 1969. C970.25 H21h
"Rejecting interpretations of Husband as a mere agitator
with an inflexible plan, Husband's influence is discussed in the
light of his diverse actions during the various stages of the
movement."
The Regulator Movement: Sectional Controversy in North Carolina,
1765-1771. James Loy Walker. Graduate thesis. Louisiana State
University, 1962. C970.25 W18r
Addresses the issue of who joined the Regulator Movement and
the idea that "the Regulation was not directly related to
the Revolution."
Regulator manuscripts at UNC: manuscripts inventory can be found
here: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/r/Regulator_Papers.html
Arguing With Historians: Essays on the Historical and the Unhistorical.
Richard Nelson Current. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press,
1988, c1987. C970 C97a2
Chapter one, "An Imaginary Declaration of Independence,
1775-1975," provides an excellent discussion of both the
historical and modern debate over the authenticity of the Mecklenburg
Declaration.
Chain of Error and the Mecklenburg Declarations of Independence.
V.V. McNitt. Charlotte, N.C.: Mecklenburg Historical Association,
1996. C970.26 M16c 1996
Modern account of the historical evidence and arguments proving
the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration.
Mecklenburg in the Revolution, 1740-1783. Bailey Troy
Groome. Charlotte, N.C.: Sons of the American Revolution, 1931.
C971.60 S69
Discussion of the role of Mecklenburg County throughout the
Revolution, with special attention to the Mecklenburg Declaration.
The Mecklenburg Signers and Their Neighbors. Worth S.
Ray. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1962. C929
R26m1
Study of the people of Mecklenburg County in the colonial and
Revolutionary periods. Some of the material is more relevant for
genealogy but there are also many maps and lists of Mecklenburg
County inhabitants that may help in finding of primary source
material.
Sketches of North Carolina, Historical and Biographical, Illustrative
of the Principles of a Portion of Her Early Settlers. William
Henry Foote (1794-1869). New York: Robert Carter, 1846. C285
F68. Available online through Documenting the American
South at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/foote/menu.html.
See especially Chapter 1.
Mecklenburg Declaration papers at UNC: manuscripts inventory can
be found here: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/m/Mecklenburg_Declaration.html.
The manuscripts are also available through Davis Microfilm, call
number 1-4485
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