When the British Came

Historians say the famous battles of the American Revolution were fought in the North, but the decisive battles were fought in the South. In North Carolina, the Lower Cape Fear was ground central to the revolution as it developed between 1765 and 1775, and then played a pivotal role in the war that was fought from 1776 - 1782. From the Stamp Act resistance of 1765, to the Regulator Rebellion of the 1770s, to the clash at Moores Creek Bridge, through the occupation of Wilmington by British redcoats in 1781, southeastern North Carolina was key to the goals of both sides in the war over American independence. This is that story.