The War of the Regulation and The Battle of Alamance, May 16, 1771

[3]

FOREWORD

The rise and progress of the Regulator movement and the Battle of Alamance have long been topics of interest to North Carolinians. The subject, a highly controversial one, has attracted many writers, most of whom have been sympathetic toward the Regulators and critical of Governor Tryon and the royal government. The first impartial study of the subject was made by John Spencer Bassett and was published in 1895. The present narrative, written by William S. Powell, professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seeks likewise to maintain an impartial point of view and to present the subject in a way that will be suitable for schoolchildren. It is believed that the bibliography will be useful to advanced students and that the illustrations will be of general interest. Readers who wish to undertake further research in the subject are invited to consult The Regulators in North Carolina: A Documentary History, 1759-1776, compiled and edited by William S. Powell, James K. Huhta, and Thomas J. Farnham (Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History, 1971).

A modern visitor center at Alamance Battleground State Historic Site, located six miles south of Burlington, features an audiovisual presentation of the story of the Regulators and the Battle of Alamance. The Alamance Battleground and the picnic area are open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For information about guided tours of the site, write to Alamance Battleground, Route 1, Burlington, North Carolina, 27215.

Memory F. Mitchell                                           
Historical Publications Administrator                 
February 1, 1976