The Wilmington Insurrection

At the close of Reconstruction, Wilmington North Carolina was a prosperous city where Black Americans held political office, owned businesses, and exercised their voting rights. But white supremacists sought to destroy that progress.

Led by former Confederate officer Alfred Moore Waddell, armed men attacked the city’s Black community, burned the offices of The Daily Record , a Black-owned newspaper, and forced elected officials from power. Dozens of Black residents were murdered, and thousands fled their homes.

Waddell installed himself as mayor, replacing Wilmington’s elected government through violence. The coup helped establish decades of racial segregation and Black voter disenfranchisement across North Carolina through intimidation at the poles and in public life.

Today, the National Park Service interprets story of the Wilmington Insurrection among the many failures of reconstruction and the violent betrayal its promises to the nation, reminding us that American democracy has never been guaranteed. The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American history.

The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society , with the cooperation of the National Park Service . This series elevates the untold stories of Black American history. #unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminute Become a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a free copy of The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills .

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