Featured Prewar North Carolina Exhibits
North Carolinians initially opposed secession from the Union. When South Carolina seceded because of perceived threats to the institution of slavery by the federal government, North Carolina refused to follow suit. The state only adopted secession (without popular consent) when war appeared inevitable after the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter and President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops. These exhibits explore North Carolina's reluctant turn toward secession.
A Wish to Compromise, Not Secede
In May of 1861, delegates from North Carolina voted to secede from the United States of America and join the...
The Benjamin Hedrick Ordeal: A Portait of Antebellum Politics and Debates Over Slavery
This exhibit will look at the dismissal of Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick, from his position as the agricultural chemistry professor at...