Editing Halifax Resolves (section)

==Drive to independence==
The Halifax Resolves only empowered North Carolina's three delegates to the [[Second Continental Congress]] ([[Joseph Hewes]], [[William Hooper]], and [[John Penn (delegate)|John Penn]]) to join with those from other colonies to declare independence from Great Britain's rule.<ref name ="NC"/><ref name="NCPedia"/>

With the passage of the resolves, North Carolina became the first colony to explicitly permit their delegates to vote in favor of independence.<ref name ="NC">[http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-revolution/4328 ''NC History'']; article at "Learn NC" online; retrieved December 15, 2012</ref> The Halifax Resolves, however, stopped short of instructing North Carolina's delegates to introduce a resolution of independence to Congress,<ref name ="NC"/> a step which was taken by [[Colony of Virginia|Virginia]] in June with the adoption of the [[Lee Resolution]]<ref name="NCPedia"/><ref>Note: The Lee Resolution was adopted at the [[Fifth Virginia Convention|Virginia Provincial Convention]] of June 7, 1776.</ref> The [[Second Continental Congress]] issued the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] the following month, in July.<!--{{cn|date=April 2017}} akin to "Paris is the capital of France" .. who doesn't know that US Independence Day is July 4?-->