1. ANCHOR
  2. Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1876)

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The War Begins, 1861

Almost immediately, everyone in North Carolina felt the impact of the war. Men volunteered for service, and some saw battle as early as July 1861, at Manassas Junction, Virginia. At home, girls sewed uniforms and blankets and made bandages from lint. On the coast, Union ships blockaded southern ports. As yet there was no fighting in North Carolina — but there soon would be. In this chapter, we’ll look at the events of the war’s first year and consider the early enthusiasm and contributions of North Carolinians.

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Artifacts

A ruined house in the middle of a battlefield. Fallen tree timbers litter the ground as soldiers survey the damage. Black and white.
Judith Henry’s house “Spring Hill” lay in ruins after the First Battle of Bull Run, in northern Virginia, July 21, 1861.

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