The Halifax Resolves is the name later given to a resolution adopted by the Fourth 
Provincial Congress of the Province of North Carolina on April 12, 1776, during the 
American Revolution. The resolution helped pave the way for the United States 
Declaration of Independence.

The Halifax Resolves, so-named because the North Carolina Provincial Congress 
met in Halifax County, were part of a movement in the colonies in which advocates 
of separation from Great Britain sought to mobilize public support for a declaration 
of independence. The primary impediment to declaring independence was that many 
delegates to the Second Continental Congress were not authorized by their home 
governments to take any action that would lead to independence. Advocates of 
independence therefore sought to revise the instructions of each congressional 
delegation and remove any restrictions regarding a declaration of independence.

The Halifax Resolves empowered North Carolina's delegates to the Second Continental 
Congress—Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, and John Penn—to join with those from 
other colonies to declare independence from British rule. The 83 delegates present at 
the Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously adopted the resolves, which also encouraged 
delegates from all the colonies to the Continental Congress to declare independence. 
North Carolina became the first colony to explicitly permit their delegates to vote in 
favor of independence.

Although the Halifax Resolves permitted the North Carolina delegation to join in a 
declaration of independence, they stopped short of instructing North Carolina's delegates 
to introduce a resolution of independence in Congress. This step was taken by the colony 
of Virginia the following month, with the adoption of the Lee resolution by the Virginia 
Convention, which led directly to Congress issuing the United States Declaration of 
Independence.

Every year, on April 12, the Historic Halifax State Historic Site celebrates Halifax Day. 
Interpreters in period costumes guide tours of historic buildings, and demonstrate crafts 
such as quill writing, butter churning, quilt making and other colonial activities. 
Occasionally, reenactors portray Revolutionary era soldiers and demonstrate use of historic 
weapons during the Halifax Day events.



Original Text

THE HALIFAX RESOLUTION 

The Select Committee taking into Consideration the usurpations and violences attempted and 
committed by the King and Parliament of Britain against America, and the further Measures to 
be taken for frustrating the same, and for the better defence of this province reported as follows, 
to wit, 

It appears to your Committee that pursuant to the Plan concerted by the British Ministry for 
subjugating America, the King and Parliament of Great Britain have usurped a Power over the 
Persons and Properties of the People unlimited and uncontrouled; and disregarding their humble 
Petitions for Peace, Liberty and safety, have made divers Legislative Acts, denouncing War 
Famine and every Species of Calamity against the Continent in General. That British Fleets and 
Armies have been and still are daily employed in destroying the People and committing the most 
horrid devastations on the Country. That Governors in different Colonies have declared Protection 
to Slaves who should imbrue their Hands in the Blood of their Masters. That the Ships belonging 
to America are declared prizes of War and many of them have been violently seized and 
confiscated in consequence of which multitudes of the people have been destroyed or from easy 
Circumstances reduced to the most Lamentable distress. 

And whereas the moderation hitherto manifested by the United Colonies and their sincere desire 
to be reconciled to the mother Country on Constitutional Principles, have procured no mitigation 
of the aforesaid Wrongs and usurpations, and no hopes remain of obtaining redress by those 
Means alone which have been hitherto tried, Your Committee are of Opinion that the house should 
enter into the following Resolve to wit, 

Resolved that the delegates for this Colony in the Continental Congress be impowered to concur with 
the delegates of the other Colonies in declaring Independency, and forming foreign Alliances, reserving 
to this Colony the Sole, and Exclusive right of forming a Constitution and Laws for this Colony, and of 
appointing delegates from time to time (under the direction of a general Representation thereof) to meet 
the delegates of the other Colonies for such purposes as shall be hereafter pointed out





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Diane Siniard