Customer Reviews

Breaking Loose Together: The Regulator Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary North Carolina

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is not just a superb telling of the story of the Regulator movement in preRevolutionary North Carolina, but rather a topnotch explanation of colonial economics, religiion and government as it applied in the South at that time. This book does for North Carolina what Rhys Isaac has done for Virginia in the same era. This book is for both the scholar and the novice. For those who feel the Revolution was due to simply "No taxation without representation," please read this book. There is much more to the story of the Revolution and this book goes far toward explaining it.

The "War" of the Regulation in NC has long cried out for an in-depth history, one that avoids the romanticism (First Battle of the Revolution!) and the innacuracies (Regulators vs. the British!).

The truth of the matter is that neither side in the conflict wore white hats. While the colonial government, like all British-styled colonial governments, supported "court house rings" and was not responsive to the justifiable complaints of its under-represented citizenry, the Regulators were, by any standard, insurrectionists. They took up arms against their governnment, destroyed property, endagered public officials and threatened to march on the capitol at New Bern. It is difficult to imagine any government threatened by such a situation not taking up arms to curtail it. There was much blame due each side.

Ms. Kars comes down early on the side of Regulators, missing the balance that such a history deserves. She gives far too much weight to her belief that the dissent in the backcountry was linked to a religious upswelling, ignoring that the Carolina backcountry was noted by many sources as being nearly totally irreligious.

Her work does contain an accounting of the period and its major events; but the reader should consider that the account she presents is slanted toward the Regulators.

The Regulators were a movement in pre-Revolutionary North Carolina that presaged movements like Shay's and the Whiskey Rebellion in the post-Revolutionary North. I don't know if it was the timing or the geography that worked against them, but I always thought that the Regulators deserved more press than they have received. I really know of no other books that addresses this topic so directly.

The book is a fine piece of history - excellent use of source material, an ability to frame the story relative to larger issues, good narrative, and good characterization (the figure of Herman Husband is especially appealing). I particularly liked the author's overall thesis - that the Regulators represented a true underclass, and were rebelling as much against the elite who would soon lead the Revolution as against the British. I was also was intrigued - if not totally convinced - by the large role she saw Dissenter religion playing in the movement.

The book is hurt slightly by the author's use of some academic cant. Other than that, though, this is a fine work, and highly recommended - especially for anyone interested in North Carolina history.

Incredible portrayal of true activisism and a better understanding of
Pre-Revolutionary history in North Carolina and the Regulator movement.
I truly believe that this was definitely the first Revolutionary War uprising and history should accept it as what it was.
What devoted people Herman Husband and the Regulators were who truly believed in wanting their fair rights and to have all the people recognized not just those privileged few at the top.
This book really helped open my eyes as to what just a few, who believe in truth and justice, can do.

WHAT A GREAT BOOK IVE ALWYS BEEN A FAN OF THIS TIME IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY. AND MAJOLEINE KARS HAS WRITTEN IT LIKE I WAS THERE EVEN DURING THE BATTLE OF ALAMANCE. IF U LOVE THIS TIME THAN BY ALL MEANS GET THIS BOOK U WONT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN

Had to read this book for my Founding of an American Nation history class, its actually not boring and is interesting. If anyone is wondering why so many farmers were pissed off and what fueled the revolutionary idea's, then this is a good book for you :)

Just don't bother...author destorys her credibility in the first few pages...throws objectivity right out the window.

The only reason I bought this book was because it is required for one of my classes taught by Dr. Bouton, who is mentioned in the acknowledgements. Dr. Kars is a professor, here at UMBC.