North Carolina's Halifax Resolves initiated push for independence

On April 12, 1776, North Carolina became the first colony to officially instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from Great Britain through the Halifax Resolves. The document was unanimously approved by 83 delegates at the Fourth Provincial Congress in Halifax following months of debate regarding the conflict with Britain.

This action provided momentum for other colonies to follow. Virginia instructed its delegates to support independence on May 15, 1776, leading to Richard Henry Lee introducing a formal resolution in the Continental Congress on June 7. Other colonies, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, and New Jersey, subsequently authorized their delegates to support independence, paving the way for the eventual drafting of the Declaration of Independence.