Hillsborough Riot
- When
- 1770
- Where
- Hillsborough; Hillsboro
- Episodes
- 2
On September 24, 1770, Regulators entered Hillsborough, North Carolina, to disrupt colonial court proceedings. They targeted officials perceived as corrupt, dragging them through the streets. This action was part of a broader uprising against colonial authorities from 1766 to 1771.
Episodes
- Court Disruption
Regulators entered Hillsborough and broke up the colonial court session on September 24, 1770.
- Punishments
Six Regulators were tried and hanged for their involvement in the Hillsborough uprising.
Background and detail
Background. The Regulator Movement was an uprising in Provincial North Carolina from 1766 to 1771. Citizens took up arms against colonial officials they viewed as corrupt. Historians note the Regulators sought a more equal political process and better economic conditions, rather than changing the form of government.
The Hillsborough Incident. North Carolina's colonial court met in Hillsborough. On September 24, 1770, Regulators entered the town and broke up the court session. They specifically targeted individuals they identified as corrupt officials, dragging them through the streets as a form of public punishment.
Aftermath. Following the Hillsborough incident, six Regulators were rapidly tried and hanged for their part in the uprising. The court in Hillsborough only met twice in 1772 and never thereafter. Many leaders remained in hiding until 1772 when they were no longer considered outlaws.
People involved
- Regulators · Uprising participants
- Colonial Officials · Targets of the riot
Sources
- Regulator Movement in North Carolina Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.