Worlds Turned Upside Down Episode 14: The Corruption
May 6, 2025
Join historian Marjoleine Kars and public historian Nathan Schultz as they dive into the tumultuous Regulator movement in colonial North Carolina. Kars explores how the Great Awakening inspired ordinary settlers to challenge corrupt officials, while Schultz recounts gripping tales from the Hillsborough courtroom riots and the dramatic Battle of Alamance. Discover the impact of land speculation and currency shortages on local rebellion, and unravel how these uprisings laid the groundwork for future American independence.
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Local Elites, Not Parliament, Fueled Backcountry Grievances
- Backcountry settlers saw local provincial elites, not Parliament, as the primary threat to their liberty.
- Regulators framed corruption as a moral and legal failing that demanded grassroots redress.
Religious Revival Spurred Political Agency
- The Great Awakening empowered ordinary settlers with an "inner light" that challenged clerical authority.
- Evangelical rebirths legitimized lay political action against perceived corruption.
Speculation Turned Settlers' Labor Into Profits
- Land speculators and chaotic land offices denied settlers secure titles and profited from their labor.
- This extractive land system deepened backcountry resentment and fueled the Regulator movement.