North Carolina Research and Publications

10/28/2026

Personal papers can often help historians piece together the past.

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.

Learn more about her writing with our digital exhibit: https://mosaicnc.org/margaret-cotten

Image: "Popping the Question" created by lithographer Sarony & Major circa 1846. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

10/28/2026

On October 28, 1798, Levi Coffin, anti-slavery leader, and reputed “conductor” of the Underground Railroad, was born in the Guilford County Quaker community of New Garden.

He joined the Quakers of New Garden in 1818, and soon after began a Sunday school in the schoolhouse adjoining the meeting house. As an opponent to slavery, he joined Guilford County’s first manumission society. With his cousin Vestal Coffin, he began a school for the enslaved, teaching them about Christianity and hosting Bible readings on Sunday afternoons. Enslavers opposed this and forbade their enslaved to attend. Within a few years, Coffin moved to Newport, Indiana.

Newport, now known as Fountain City, was on a route of the Underground Railroad, through which men and women escaping to freedom passed. Coffin and his wife joined the movement and made their house a “station” to shelter freedom seekers and provide safe passage into Canada. During the 20 years they lived in Newport, the Coffins helped about 2,000 people escape to safety. One of those women was “Eliza,” depicted by Harriet Beecher Stowe in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. All men and women who passed through the Coffin house reached freedom.

Marker located in Greensboro, NC: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/08/levi-coffin-1798-1877-j-46

10/27/2026

It is spirit week at NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources!

Yesterday, Director Ansley Herring-Wegner, Outreach Coordinator Chelsea Kiefer, and Research Historian Supervisor Leslie Cruickshank participated in hat day!

Today, October 27th, is think pink day!

America 250 NC
North Carolina Highway Historical Markers

10/27/2026

10/27/2026

On October 25, 1774, women in Edenton resolved to stop buying English tea and cloth to protest taxation without representation. The event became known as the Edenton Tea Party.

The women, some of whom likely gathered at a home in Edenton, drew up resolves which were signed by 51 local ladies. In January 1775, a British newspaper reported that “many ladies of this Province [North Carolina] have determined to give a memorable proof of their patriotism” having resolved not to drink any more tea or use any British cloth.

The step was a momentous one for colonists because drinking tea was an English tradition that defined social gatherings. To suspend the custom, which was a part of everyday life, showed just how disgusted they were with the English government. Like the much more famous Boston Tea Party, the Edenton Tea Party was a bold demonstration of patriotism and the belief in individual rights.

Penelope Barker, wife of the treasurer of the Province of North Carolina is believed to have organized the protest.

Please check out MosaicNC for a more comprehensive digital exhibit about the revolutionary women of Edenton: https://mosaicnc.org/index.php/edenton-tea-party

Marker located in Edenton, NC: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2023/12/01/edenton-tea-party-22

10/26/2026

Chelsea Kiefer, Outreach Coordinator, and Dan Brosz, Outreach and Grants Manager, both entered the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources Pet-A-Palooza Pet Costume Contest! Each entry made a donation to Saving Grace NC. After internal employee voting, the winner will be announced on Thursday. Wish Janie and Taji lots of luck!

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Meet Janie (Chelsea)

We adopted Janie from SPCA of Wake County in March 2026. In December 2025, at around 9 months old, a rural shelter found her as a stray after being hit by a car and left injured. They performed her leg amputation and sent her to the SPCA, who started treatment for her heartworms. She is now a beloved and spoiled member of our family. She has two canine siblings. She loves to wrestle, run (in a straight line, turns are hard), go on walks, visit petstores, meet new people, nap, nap, nap, and give kisses and hugs. Also, she hops. :)

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Meet Taji (Dan)

Taji is our seven-year-old pug. Our human kiddo always includes her in themed costume schemes. Pictured here, Taji is a Halloween dragon (our kid was the dragon trainer). Sometimes life is crazy, but this silly and patient pet can always make us smile.

10/26/2026

Wondering about our logo?

It is an image of the key to the Halifax Courthouse. This key opened the door to the building where the Fourth Provincial Congress approved the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776. That document instructed the colony’s delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to vote for independence - making North Carolina the first colony to officially call for freedom from Great Britain.

Today, it is a reminder of all the long and diverse past of North Carolina, which you can unlock with all of our public resources.

Learn more: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/about-us/divisions/research-and-publications

10/23/2026

How fun!

10/22/2026

What was it like to be a Quaker during the American Revolution in North Carolina?

Neutrality was difficult to maintain during the American Revolution, especially when both the Patriots and the British rejected the idea of a truly neutral party. Containing documents such as petitions, pension applications, and legal messages, this exhibit illustrates how North Carolinian Quakers experienced and contributed to the Revolution.

Learn more: https://mosaicnc.org/quakers

Image: This painting of the Gracechurch Street Meeting, circa 1770, depicts a typical Quaker worship meeting. Courtesy of the Library of the Society of Friends.