Historians such as John Spencer Bassett argue that the Regulators did not wish to change the form or principle of their government, but simply wanted to make the colony's political process more equal.

They wanted better economic conditions for everyone, instead of a system that heavily benefited the colonial officials and their network of plantation owners mainly near the coast.

Bassett interprets the events of the late 1760s in Orange and surrounding counties as "...a peasants' rising, a popular upheaval.

At the same time, the local inland agricultural community suffered from a deep economic depression because of severe droughts throughout the previous decade.

The loss of crops cost farmers their food source as well as their primary means of income, which led many to rely on the goods being brought by newly arrived merchants.

Debts were common at the time, and from 1755 to 1765, the cases brought to the docket increased nearly sixteen-fold, from seven annually to 111 in Orange County, North Carolina, alone.

The shift in population and politics eventually led to an imbalance within the colony's courthouses, and the new and well-educated lawyers used their superior knowledge of the law to their sometimes unjust advantage.

A small clique of wealthy officials formed an exclusive inner circle in charge of the legal affairs of the area.

Historian William S. Powell writes that these local officials were perceived to be "unjust and dishonest", having engaged in extortion, embezzlement, and other schemes to benefit themselves.

With the arrival of Royal Governor William Tryon in 1765,[6] volatile conditions in North Carolina increasingly worsened.

[citation needed] The stated primary aim of the Regulators was to form an honest government and reduce taxation.

One of the major flaws in Husband's campaign was he tried to invite good relations with the eastern regions of North Carolina, mostly unaffected by the issues with local sheriffs.

Husband retained very little control over the Regulators, who generally went against his policies of winning over public sentiment and committed acts of minor violence at regular intervals.

The presiding Judge Richard Henderson quickly adjourned the court until the next morning to avoid being forced to make a ruling in the presence of an angry mob of Regulators, and escaped in the night.

The mob continued to destroy shops and property in the town, and ultimately brought their destruction to Fanning's personal residence.

[10] While small acts of violence had been taking place for some time, mainly out of resentment, the first organized conflict was in Mecklenburg County in 1765.

[11] As news articles spread the word of his victory, Tryon was branded a hero of the colonies for defeating the larger group of Regulators with his small, well prepared militia.

However, as the initial excitement over the battle died down, many newsmen, especially in the Boston area, began to question the reasons behind the rebellion and investigated further.

Reports also indicated that battlefield misconduct had taken place on the governor's side, including giving the farmers a one-hour warning period before the battle began, and subsequently breaking that agreement to bombard them with artillery fire.

Many Regulators moved further west into places such as Tennessee, notably establishing both the Watauga Association in 1772 and the State of Franklin in 1784.

However their main problems stemmed not from corruption, but from widespread crime and weak law enforcement, as well as a lack of representation and of government-provided services such as courts and churches.