Society Saturday - Colonial Regulators

I'm a week late posting this, but there's a brand new lineage Society - the Descendants of Colonial Regulators.  This Society started as a way to honor those ancestors involved in the pre-Revolutionary Regulator movement in North and South Carolina.  It has grown to honor ancestors involved in similar protests against taxation that laid the basis for the American Revolution.

The Regulator Movement in North Carolina started in 1764.  Initially there were protests against the corrupt government, with many people signing petitions as such.  It was based in the Orange, Anson and Granville county area but also spread to surrounding counties.

There was an armed uprising in Hillsborough in 1768 which resulted in vandalism and bodily attacks. The conflict culminated in the Battle of Alamance on 16 May 1771 where about 1000 of Governor Tryon's men faced a larger number of Regulators.  There were deaths on both sides. 

Although the Regulators did not directly accomplish their goal of removing the corrupt government officials, their actions helped lead to the American Revolution.

I am proud of my ancestor William Wiley who signed one of the petitions attempting to change the corrupt govenment of Governor Tryon.  William was probably born in Pennsylvania but settled in Orange County NC in the 1750's.  He was active in his community, at one point serving as overseer of the road, and kept a Tavern at his home.  He responded to the injustices by petitioning.  Later, he continued his support of the colonists by supplying beef to the Revolutionary Army.  He died in 1783 in Guilford County NC. 

The Society officially launched last week on May 16 - the anniversary of the Battle of Alamance.

If you would like to learn more about this new Society, their website is:
https://colonialregulators.weebly.com/