North Carolina Regulators

A coalition of planters and small farmers organized in 1767. Because the assembly failed to provide the backcountry with courts and the means to establish law and order, the Regulators set up courts to resolve legal disputes and brought criminals to justice. The governor and the assembly, recognizing that the Regulators' grievances were justified, did nothing to stop the movement. By 1768, order had been restored, and the Circuit Court Act of 1769, which provided six court districts for the backcountry, led to the dissolution of the Regulators.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.