Before the Revolutionary War began, a movement unfolded in the backcountry of North Carolina, sparking the short-lived but influential War of Regulation. In the first episode of our series “From Regulators to Revolution,” Annabeth Poe and Katherine Crickmore are joined by Nathan Schultz, the Site Director of Alamance Battleground, as they discuss the Regulators, their grievances, and the War of Regulation. Join us for a riveting interview and hear sounds from the battlefield for yourself, as Annabeth, Katie, and reference archivist Dominique Romero visit Alamance Battleground during a May 2024 battle reenactment. 

Warning: This episode contains the sound of cannon fire blanks used in an outdoor battle reenactment. These sounds can be loud and jarring, occurring from around 0.20 to 1.40 minutes. Please listen with caution! 

Collections Used for Research  

Private Collection, George Sims Papers, “Nutbush Address,” PC.923 

Colonial Governor’s Papers, Governor William Tryon, June 9th, 1771, “Proclamation for capture of Herman Husband and other Regulators,” CGP.6 

Military Collection, War of Regulation Papers, “Provisions for Robert Harris’ Granville Brigade troops during 1768 Hillsborough unrest,” Box 1, Folder 4, Item 1 

Military Collection, War of Regulation Papers, “Papers relating to the trial of Edmund Fanning, Mar 22, 1769,” Box 1, Folder 37, Item 1 

General Assembly Session Records, Session of Dec. 1770-Jan. 1771, “Bill for preventing tumultuous and riotous assemblies,” Dec 15, 1770, Colonial Box 4 

Map Collection, Battle of Alamance Map, Prepared by Claude Joseph Sauthier, MC.175.1771sa 

History For All the People Blog, Regulator Movement, by Becky McGee-Lankford, https://ncarchives.wpcomstaging.com/2022/06/17/regulator-movement/