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.

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From North Carolina Slaves to Union Soldiers

Historian David Williams relays that “roughly 200,000 blacks, most of them refugees from slavery, served in the Union armed forces." (Williams…