North Carolina in the Civil War era is known colloquially as a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit. This expression is part state rivalry, a dig at Virginia and South Carolina. But also part analysis of the culture, politics, and economy of North Carolina compared to its neighbors. This site presents sources that address how the state diverged from and converged on regional and national patterns.

Collections

Browse collections of primary and secondary sources.

Exhibits

Read analyses of sources in interpretive exhibits.

Tutorials

Learn the building blocks of historical inquiry in tutorials.

Activities

Explore historical questions in learning activities.

Did You Know?

Population Caswell County

Not many people know that Caswell County, North Carolina, had a fairly large population in the nineteenth century. Tax and census records, however,…