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Exploring North Carolina In Their Own Words: Personal Accounts and Narratives

Many NCpedia biographies include links to autobiographies, memoirs, and personal narratives written by the biographical subject. And others contain access to interviews and oral histories. These types of subjective sources can often provide additional context for the experiences and lived life of the writer or speaker. They can share the perspectives, thoughts, and feelings of individuals who lived in different historical periods and experienced the world in a different way. They can often help us better understand other cultures, historical events, and places. They are the stories people tell about their lives.

This page gathers NCpedia biographies that include personal accounts, journals, diaries, memoirs, oral histories, and other personal stories.


Memoirs, Autobiographies and Diaries

Burt, Maxwell (Writer, published diary of life out west; link to online library search)
Campbell, Olive Dame  (Folklorist, educator, early 20th century; published diary, link to online library search)
Carter, Landon (18th century political leader; diary, link to online version)
Grandy, Moses (Former enslaved person; Slave narrative, link to online version)
Hairston, Peter (Civil War diary, link to library catalog)
Jacobs, Harriet (Former enslaved person; Autobiography; Slave narrative; link to online version)
Jones, Thomas H. (Minister and abolitionist; former enslaved person; autobiography; lave narrative; link to online version)
Keckly, Elizabeth (Former enslaved person; autobiography; slave narrative; link to online version and recording)
Lane, Lunsford (Former enslaved person; Raleigh businessman and entrepreneur; slave narrative)
Pratt, Joseph Hyde (War Diary, WWI; link to online version)

Religious Conversion Narratives

Conversion Narratives, NCpedia article

Oral Histories

"Listening to History," personal accounts presented by David Cecelski in the News & Observer (1990-2000)


Women in the Military

Military Women (article) with links to biographies and oral history interviews


Expedition, Adventure and Travel Narratives