The only successful coup d’etat in American history happened in Wilmington,North Carolina in 1898. White supremacists, backed by the Democratic party, overthrew the local, biracial government. This event reversed the course of civil rights in North Carolina for generations.
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More about this episode
Wilmington on Fire Documentary Director Christopher Everett amassed rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians and descendants of the victims of the coup to uncover a shocking event that marked a turning point in the politics of the post-Reconstruction South
North Carolina Legislature 2007 Joint Resolution on Wilmington Riots
News & Observer “White supremacists took over a city – now NC is doing more to remember the deadly attack” by Will Doran. December 2017
Editor and Publisher “Why North Carolina Papers Apologized for Role In 1898 Race Riots” by Joe Strupp November 2006
Southern Poverty Law Center “Intelligence Report: America’s Only Coup D’etat” by Molly McCluskey August 2018
Music
Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Panthernburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use. “Crowd Hammer”, “Brethren Arise”, “Long Note Two” and “Lost Time”, “Dark Fog”, “Colorless Aura” and “Osuarry The Beginning” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons
