Second North Carolina Provincial Congress

These congresses created a government structure, issued bills of credit to pay for the movement, and organized an army for defense, in preparation for the state of North Carolina.

The congress met at the same place and almost the same time as the Province of North Carolina General Assembly of 1775 and had almost exactly the same membership (61 of the 107 delegates attended both).

This infuriated the royal governor Josiah Martin, who dissolved the colonial legislature on April 8 and never called another.

Just after this congress met, news reached North Carolina about the Battle of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.

The first military action occurred on July 18 when patriots burned Fort Johnston, where Governor Martin had transferred his headquarters.