Joyce, I'm delighted you're interested. Let's compare notes somewhere down the road, okay?I have a family story too that gives a completely different take. Most kids are taught about the Boston Tea Party where a number of folks dressed as Indians threw tea into the harbor to protest tea taxes, but fewer people know anything of the tax revolt in North Carolina (called the Regulation) where more than a 1000 farmers (called Regulators) eventually protested.
What happened is that wealthy colonials from coastal NC could buy tax collector, judge and other official seats--and not by election or even appointment. The farmers in the back country were poorer, most often paying taxes by goods or the barter method, which had been common practice.
When "officials" changed the tax rules to currency only and started targeting the more desirable pieces of land to foreclose on and buy for themselves, a series of petitions were sent for redress. When those were ignored, an uprising broke out (which didn't last long because the farmers were far outmatched).
The coastal colonials had already hung a number of protesters until King George intervened, stopping the hangings, and granting clemency to anyone who would take an oath. Some historians believe those protestors remained loyal to their oaths, and had no love of the colonials in more lucrative positions--hence the civil war in the Carolinas. (My ancestor's land, too close to a main road traveled by both sides in the war, was devastated by both sides.)
My 5X great-grandfather Jeffrey signed many of those Regulator petitions but there is no list for who was in the actual protest and I haven't found evidence of his taking the loyalty oath (yet).
Two of his sons were Patriots,
one was likely a Loyalist,
one moved to another state with other Quakers to stay neutral,
and my 4X great-grandfather Jesse was too young at the time.
Since Jeffrey's will left his land to the two youngest sons, there's a family debate whether Jeffrey was giving the land to his Loyalist sons, or just providing for the younger two who were still young, and not yet married or established on their own land as the other sons already were. There are also some thoughts about Jeffrey and the Quakers, among whom he lived among all his life. His mother was a Quaker, and several of his daughters and two sons married Quakers (including my GF Jesse.)
Now, more than 200 years later, there's still no clear answer (yet) and my extended genealogical family still jostles among itself on what's what, so...some things never change, I guess. It's taught me that not much is simple, and that the devil is in the details.
Complicating the war there were the Scots Highlanders who had also taken loyalty oaths and moved to the Carolinas.
I just couldn't believe it when DIANA GABALDON set Claire and Jamie in the middle of that time and place. More folks probably know more about the Regulators from her novel than will ever be taught in school.
Signing out now, yours truly,
Windbag
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