Battle of Alamance (1771)

Thu May 16, 1771

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On this day in 1771, the North Carolina “Regulator” movement, a poor peasant uprising in colonial America, was crushed by the North Carolina militia in a clash known as the Battle of Alamance.

The War of the Regulation was an uprising in British America’s Carolina colonies, lasting from about 1765 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against colonial officials, whom they viewed as corrupt, saying that “their highest study is the promotion of their wealth”.

Historian Howard Zinn has argued that the Regulator Movement was a form of class conflict, as the Regulators described themselves as poor peasants, oppressed by the wealthier classes.

The battle was fought by more than 2,000 rebels and 1,000 militiamen, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people and defeat for the Regulators.

After the battle, state militia traveled through Regulator territory, compelling Regulators and their sympathizers to sign loyalty oaths and destroying property of the most active members.