Halifax Resolves To Return To North Carolina For The First Time Since 1776
This week, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources announced that the Halifax Resolves will return to North Carolina for the commemoration of America’s 250th Anniversary. The Halifax Resolves are the first formal call for independence for the American colonies from the British Empire. Visitors can view the document at the Halifax State Historic Site from April 10th through October 6th.
“North Carolina played a significant role in winning America’s independence,” said Governor Josh Stein. “The creation and adoption of the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776 was the first official action by any colony calling for independence from Great Britain, forever cementing North Carolina’s place in history as ‘First in Freedom.’”
This document is currently held in the National Archives; the Resolves document is believed to be returning to Halifax for the firs time since it was sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776. This is the only copy know to exists. The State Archives of North Carolina holds the journal copy of the Resolves, which will be displayed in Halifax this fall.
Background on the Resolves: In April 1776, the Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina met in the town of Halifax following the Patriots’ February victory in the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. On April 12, these delegates unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves, the first official action by any of the 13 colonies calling for independence from Great Britain. The Resolves authorized North Carolina’s representatives to the Second Continental Congress — William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and John Penn — to vote for independence. This action is acknowledged as an important precursor to the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776.
“The opportunity to view this 250-year-old document in the place where it was created is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “The Halifax Resolves is one of the most important pieces of our state’s story — its date is emblazoned on our state flag — and we’re so excited for North Carolinians to see it in person.”
Visitors to Historic Halifax can view this historic document and experience history during Halifax Resolves Days, April 10-12. North Carolina will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves with “Prelude to Revolution: Halifax Resolves Days,” an immersive three-day event featuring living history vignettes, lectures, live colonial music and Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps performances, historic trades and weapons demonstrations, a military parade, tours, and more. The event will take place throughout the historic area of the town of Halifax on the weekend of April 10-12, with activities offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Attendees are encouraged to visit the event website in advance to stay in the loop on street closures, shuttle, and parking information. A full event schedule and site map can also be accessed online at https://www.america250.nc.gov/events-experiences/signature-events/halifax-250. Visitors may stop by the Halifax Visitor Center at 25 St. David St., to pick up a map and information for each day’s programming.
Historic Halifax is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the agency leading the America 250 NC commemoration.
