Cary's Rebellion

Background

The Province of Carolina was technically a single entity covering all land from Spanish Florida to the Colony of Virginia, but travel between the northern parts and the southern seat of government in Charleston was very difficult. In the late 17th century, a deputy governor for the northern section was appointed who could act with significant autonomy. Early in its history, Carolina provided for religious freedom, making it attractive to Quakers persecuted in England and parts of the colonies.

Quakerism's founder George Fox visited the Albemarle Settlements in 1672. In the succeeding years, Quakerism grew and came to dominate the government, including the appointment of Quaker John Archdale as Governor of Carolina in 1694. In 1699, Henderson Walker, a devout Anglican, became Deputy Governor of North Carolina and pushed through reforms establishing the Church of England as the official religion and passing the Vestry Act, which imposed a tax on all residents to support the church.

When Queen Anne assumed the throne, colonial officers had to renew their oaths. Quakers, who do not swear oaths, had previously proven loyalty by affirming, but this practice was disallowed, and all Quakers lost their positions. Over the next decade, the distinction between the Quaker party and the Church party grew more entrenched.

Cary's Governorship

Thomas Cary was the stepson of former Governor John Archdale, a Quaker. When first appointed Deputy Governor of North Carolina, Cary supported the Church party and kept Quakers out of government by strictly enforcing the oath requirement. The Quakers and some disaffected Anglicans sent a representative to the Lords Proprietors in England, who removed Cary from the governorship. After Cary returned to South Carolina, where he remained active in provincial politics, William Glover took over as Acting Deputy Governor but continued the oath policy.

In 1707, Cary returned, this time supporting the Quaker dissenters against Glover and also espousing the regional interests of the town of Bath on the Pamlico Sound against the Albemarle government centered near present-day Edenton. In 1708, Cary and his supporters ousted Glover in an election in the Assembly; Glover then fled to Virginia and claimed Cary had threatened his life. Cary removed the oath requirement and restored Quakers to the government, so from 1708 to 1710, Cary and the Quakers dominated.

Cary also lowered the quit-rents for Bath County, which were essentially a land tax charged in exchange for royal land grants. Cary's government was not endorsed by the Lords Proprietors and had no official legal standing.

Rebellion

Though Cary's Rebellion can refer to the entire period from Glover's ousting, it is generally used only for the period in 1711 after the Lords Proprietors chose Edward Hyde to take over as Deputy Governor and his appointment was resisted by Cary. Hyde arrived in North Carolina in January 1711 with letters from the Lords Proprietors and was supposed to receive his full official commission from the Governor of Carolina when he arrived. However, the governor had died by the time he arrived, so his claim was not technically perfected.

Despite this, Cary and the Quaker party were at first willing to allow Hyde to take over, until Hyde began to clearly side with the Anglican party. Then Cary refused to recognize Hyde until he produced his official commission and claimed he was still the legal governor. Hyde declared Cary in open rebellion and assembled an armed force of around 150 men to go to Bath to arrest him. Cary fled from his home to a nearby plantation, possibly that of former governor Robert Daniell, which had been fortified with cannons and several dozen supporters.

On May 29, after failing to reach an agreement, Hyde attacked this fortified position and his men were beaten back after a short battle. On June 30, 1711, Cary with his armed brigantine began an attack on Hyde and his council at the home of Colonel Thomas Pollock on the Chowan River. Hyde's followers had only 60 men under arms and two cannon, and affairs looked dark when two strong landing parties from the brigantine headed for shore. However, a lucky shot from one of the two cannon on shore severed the brigantine's mast, frightening Cary's forces so much that they cut their anchor and sailed away.

Cary regrouped and fortified a small island in the Pamlico Sound, then sailed to mainland Carolina and met Hyde's force face to face in a fierce battle about which little is known. Quakers themselves are generally pacifists, so it is unlikely many Quakers took part in the violence; Cary's force was likely made up of Bath County men and non-Quaker dissenters. Governor Alexander Spottswood of Virginia decided to aid Hyde, organizing a militia and dispatching a contingent of Royal Marines stationed on the Chesapeake in mid-July.

With the arrival of an organized military force representing the official power of the crown, Cary's forces disbanded and Cary fled. He was arrested and sent to England for trial, though he was released after a year and returned to live out his life in Bath without further incident.

Did You Know?

• On June 30, 1711, a lucky cannon shot from shore severed the mast of Cary's brigantine, causing his forces to flee.
• The disputed government from 1708 to 1711 severely weakened the colonists' position, contributing to the chaos during the Tuscarora War that began in September 1711.