North Carolina's motto, "First in Freedom," describes the state's history in the era during the Revolutionary War. The motto may specifically allude to the Halifax Resolves and the legend of the Mecklenburg Declaration, but Cumberland County established its own place in state history on June 20, 1775, through its own 'declaration of independence'-the Liberty Point Resolves. The document is a marker of the signers' dedication to their patriotic beliefs in a region heavily populated by Loyalists. In this text, the Local & State History Department at the Cumberland County Public Library explores the history of the Cumberland Association and their signing of the Liberty Point Resolves. Documents ranging from newspaper articles, census records, family stories to provincial Congress records, and petitions provide readers the varied lives of the signers, from heroic deeds to acts of treachery. This book also explores the Loyalists in the county, the women who helped the Patriots, the commemorations of the Liberty Point Resolves, and the disappearance and reappearance of the authentic Resolves document itself.
Joseph Westendorf is the manager of the Cumberland County Public Library's Local & State History Department. He holds a Master's degree in Library Science and a B.A. in History, with highest honors and a concentration in Public History from Rutgers University. He has been a local history librarian for Cumberland County since 2021. Anthony Dykhouse served as a librarian in the Local & State History Department for the Cumberland County Public Library. He earned his Master's degree in Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He has several years of experience programming as well as producing a history podcast with the Carteret County Public Library. Kaitlyn Santos-Porter is a Local & State History Department Library Associate at the Cumberland County Public Library. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. She has been a member of the North Carolina Archaeological Society since 2022. Matthew Morgan is a Local & State History Department Library Associate at the Cumberland County Public Library. As a life-long genealogy enthusiast, Matt works at his dream job at the Cumberland County Public Library, where he focuses on genealogical research. Previously, Matt served in the United States Army as a SOF Governance Officer. Matt is a member of the National Genealogical Society, and is working towards becoming a Certified Genealogist.
"Who were the Patriots who signed the Liberty Point Resolves as a blow against British rule? This groundbreaking study fleshes out that question and many more about a little-known resolution in a Loyalist-heavy section of North Carolina that led down the bloody path to American independence."-Charles Broadwell, former Editor and Publisher of The Fayetteville Observer
