New All Things Judicial Podcast Bonus Episode Celebrates North Carolina's Role as First in Freedom with the 1776 Halifax Resolves
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The North Carolina Judicial Branch podcast All Things Judicial released a bonus episode today in commemoration of the 245th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves. This episode features a visit to the Halifax Historic District in Halifax, North Carolina, and an interview with Historic Interpreter Frank McMahon from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. In addition, Supreme Court of North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby joined All Things Judicial in the studio to discuss the events leading up to the Halifax Resolves and the implications of its adoption in 1776.
“We were the first state to authorize our delegates to vote for independence,” said Chief Justice Newby in the podcast. “As the Halifax Resolves authorized our delegates to vote for freedom, it implicitly said that we are going to form our own constitution.”
The Halifax Resolves was a name later given to the resolution adopted by the North Carolina Fourth Provincial Congress who met in Halifax, North Carolina, on April 12, 1776. The adoption of the resolution was the first official action in the American Colonies calling for independence from England during the American Revolution. The Halifax Resolves helped pave the way for the United States Declaration of Independence less than three months later and the first North Carolina Constitution which was ratified on December 18, 1776.
Today’s release is a bonus episode of the podcast. The next regularly scheduled episode will be released on April 28. All Things Judicial can be downloaded on all podcast apps and streamed on NCcourts.gov.
About the Interviews and Guests
Special thanks to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for arranging a tour of the Halifax Historic District and providing Historical Interpreter Frank McMahon as our guide.
We would also like to thank Chief Justice Paul Newby for providing his insight and commentary about the history surrounding the adoption of the Halifax Resolves in 1776. Chief Justice Newby also appeared in an accompanying video about this subject available on the NCcourts YouTube channel.