Editing Murfreesboro, North Carolina (section)

===Revolution to the American Civil War===
[[Image:Banastre-Tarleton-by-Joshua-Reynolds.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Portrait of Banastre Tarleton]]'' by Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]]]]
On July 17, 1781, British forces led by [[Banastre Tarleton]] and the [[British Legion (American Revolution)|British Legion]] attacked Maney's Neck near Murfree's Landing. William Murfree's son, [[Hardy Murfree]], led a local militia that repulsed the attack at Skinner's Bridge.<ref name=stephenson/>

William Murfree contributed {{convert|97|acre|ha}} of land surrounding Murfree's Landing in 1787 to the growing settlement to form a town. The town was chartered by the General Assembly and renamed Murfreesboro on January 6, 1787.<ref name=stephenson/><ref name=republic>{{Cite book  | last = Parramore | first = Thomas C. | author-link = Thomas C. Parramore | title = Murfreesboro, North Carolina and the Founding of the American Republic 1608-1871 | publisher = Murfreesboro Historicall Association, Inc. | year = 2001 | location = Murfreesboro, North Carolina | pages = 1 }}</ref> This act also provided for the establishment of a public dock, as the town was located at the northernmost point of navigation on the Meherrin River.<ref name=stephenson/>

Murfreesboro was designated by the [[United States Congress|US Congress]] in 1790 as an official [[port of entry]], and the [[United States Customs Service|customs]] records indicate a profitable three-cornered trade with [[New England]] and the [[West Indies]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}}

In 1809, the [[Freeman House (Murfreesboro, North Carolina)|Hertford Academy]] was established in Murfreesboro, opening in 1811 for male students. In 1814, Harriet Sketchly and Martha Sketchly arrived and expanded the female department of the academy considerably. By 1849, it was renamed as the Chowan Baptist Female Institute, the forerunner of [[Chowan University]].<ref name=Parramore69.52>{{cite book | last = Dr. Thomas C. | first = Parramore | author-link = Thomas C. Parramore | title = The Ancient Maritime Village of Murfreesborough: 1787-1825 | publisher = Johnson Publishing Company | year = 1969 | location = Murfreesboro, North Carolina | pages = 52, 69 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=boZKAAAAMAAJ | isbn = 0-930230-02-7 }}</ref>

In 1831 Murfreesboro was among towns that sent armed forces (these were led by Captain [[Solon Borland]]) to [[Southampton County, Virginia]], to quell [[Nat Turner's slave rebellion]].<ref name=Parramore98.10>{{cite book | last = Parramore | first = Dr. Thomas C. | author-link = Thomas C. Parramore | title = Trial Separation: Murfreesboro, North Carolina and the Civil War | publisher = Murfreesboro Historical Association, Inc. | year = 1998 | location = Murfreesboro, North Carolina | pages = 10 | lccn= 00503566}}</ref> As a result of these events, Virginia and North Carolina reduced the rights of free blacks, prohibiting education of both free blacks and slaves.