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 Confederacy. But, a closer examination of antebellum North Carolina reveals a more complex story. For the decade leading up to the Civil War, most North Carolinians called for compromise and loyalty to the Union. This exhibit examines why most North Carolinians opposed secession, and how North Carolina’s delegates arrived at the decision to secede.