The Plott Hound Literary Circle

In 1865, after the end of the Civil War, formerly enslaved people living in North Carolina began the process of building lives independent of their previous enslavement. This period was known as the Reconstruction era. Many African Americans worked to establish their own communities by purchasing land, starting schools, and founding religious centers. But they faced another challenge—living under Jim Crow laws. These were local and state laws, mostly in the South, that enforced racial discrimination and segregation from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. These laws affected almost every area of life for previously enslaved people and led to events like the Wilmington Massacre here in North Carolina. Jim Crow laws had lasting impacts on generations of African Americans. The book Happy Land explores these and other themes, struggles, and triumphs set against the backdrop of western North Carolina.

At the close of the Civil War, Union troops occupied the Tarboro area. During those weeks, many of the formerly enslaved people in Edgecombe and surrounding counties left their plantations and came to the Federals’ encampment seeking freedom and protection. The future was uncertain for the newly freedpeople who didn’t have the privilege of learning to read or making their own money.

They gathered around the Union troops camped on the south side of the Tar River below Tarboro. Although it was policy to advise the emancipated people to return to the plantations and work for their old enslavers, a sizable number of the freedpeople remained at the site after the troops had departed. They called their new village Freedom Hill (sometimes known as Liberty Hill). 

The freedpeople who remained encamped on the river soon erected small homes. White landowners made no effort to evict them from the land since it was so swampy as to be considered useless. There is some evidence that the newcomers were encouraged to remain at the site and thus keep their distance from the White community in Tarboro. In the 1870s, the Black settlers began acquiring lots. One of the buyers was Turner Prince (1843–1912), a carpenter and namesake of the renamed community.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Black-owned businesses proliferated in Princeville. However, the rise of white supremacy brought a serious threat to the town’s continued existence. White residents called for Princeville’s dissolution, but the residents resisted. 

Today Princeville remains a cohesive African American community with a heritage unique among North Carolina towns. Princeville has experienced repeated flooding, most notably by Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. Recovery efforts brought national attention to the town.

Historical artifacts in the NC Museum of History’s collection connect us to the lives and stories of North Carolinians. These items reveal crucial details about daily life in a particular period as they were used, made, worn, stitched, and written by real people. By studying these objects, we better understand how historical fiction is inspired by authentic human experiences.

These artifacts are proof of the enormity of the physical, emotional, and mental struggle of previously enslaved people as they sought to build a happy life for themselves despite oppressive circumstances and Jim Crow laws.