Before the other colonies followed suit in July, the North Carolina Provincial Congress issued the Halifax Resolves April 12, 1776, voting to separate from the British Crown. The approaching Halifax Day observance at Historic Halifax April 12 will commemorate the Halifax Resolves and North Carolina's stand as the first colony to call for separation.
The free celebration will feature costumed interpreters, historic building tours, living history demonstrations for young and old and is sponsored by the Historical Halifax Restoration Association, Inc.
North Carolina's flag bears the date April 12, 1776, in recognition of the state's revolutionary move to independence and its importance to the state's history. The 83 delegates of the Provincial Congress passed the Halifax Resolves unanimously.
School group tours and demonstrations will take place 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. A formal presentation in the visitor center at 2 p.m. by Randall Jones is entitled "The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge Preceding the Halifax Resolves, 1776." The presentation is funded by the North Carolina Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. A reception in Tap Room Tavern follows the program.
Afternoon tours will be from 3-4:30 p.m. A self-guided museum tour and an audio visual presentation in the visitor center also is available.
The first 85 years of history of the town of Halifax are recalled in the site's preservation, whose time period is 1760 to 1840. Historic Halifax is located at 25 David St., Halifax. Historic Halifax is within the Division of State Historic Sites of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.