Which colony adopted the Halifax Resolves, a 1776 call for independence?

North Carolina adopted the Halifax Resolves, a 1776 call for independence from Great Britain.

The resolution was adopted by the Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina while it met in Halifax. On April 12, 1776, the 83 delegates present unanimously approved instructions encouraging North Carolina’s delegates to the Continental Congress to support independence.

The resolves were significant because colonial delegates to the Continental Congress often lacked authorization from their home governments to vote for separation. North Carolina’s action helped remove that obstacle and strengthened the political movement toward independence before Congress adopted the Declaration.

The Halifax Resolves did not itself declare the colonies independent. Instead, it authorized North Carolina’s congressional delegates to join efforts for independence. The name refers to Halifax, North Carolina, rather than Halifax in Nova Scotia, a frequent geographical confusion.