The War Governor: Thomas W. Bickett, 1917-1921
Thomas W. Bickett served as governor of North Carolina from 1917 to 1921. Browse this exhibit to learn more about his time in office and to view his official papers.
The Gourd Patch Conspiracy
The Gourd Patch Affair, or the Lewellen Conspiracy, was a failed uprising against North Carolina's Patriot government in the summer of 1777. A group of Martin, Tyrrell, Pitt, and Bertie County farmers met in a pumpkin patch and crafted a secret plot. Their aim? Assassinate North Carolina's governor, overthrow the state government, and protect the Protestant religion.
North Carolina and the Space Race
Learn about the various contributions of North Carolina scientists, engineers, pilots, and more to Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Trace the influences of this golden age of the American space program on future generations of Tar Heel space explorers.
The Diary of Margaret Eliza Cotten
Margaret Elizabeth Cotten (1835-1895) was a young woman who attended St. Mary's School in Raleigh prior to the Civil War. Her diary, now held by the State Archives of North Carolina, provides a unique view into her world.
The Kirk-Holden War of 1870
In the summer of 1870, Governor William W. Holden and the reconstruction-era state government engaged in a police action—known informally as the Kirk-Holden War—against the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist terrorist group that had taken hold in North Carolina.
The Papers of Arthur Dobbs: A Colonial Records Digital Edition
Arthur Dobbs (1689-1765) served as the Royal Governor of the North Carolina Colony from 1754-64. An Irishman by birth, Dobbs saw his adopted home through a period of immense upheaval. His term is marked by the French and Indian War, colonists' changing relations with American Indians, and Dobbs' frequent disagreements with the North Carolina Colonial Assembly.