Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 Story Map

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

In a joint collaboration, New Hanover County’s Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, worked together with NHC’s Information Technology Department and Public Library to create the 1898 Story Map, an interactive map and timeline documenting the events of 1898 in New Hanover County (NC). The 1898 Story Map focuses on the history of Wilmington’s 1898 Massacre and Coup d’état. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, the map provides an accessible resource highlighting this critically important moment in New Hanover County’s history. Over the past decade—especially during the past 5 years—there has been an ever-growing interest in this white supremacist massacre and coup d’état in our community and nationwide. The map places the history of 1898 front and center within our interpretation of the past, and within the community’s collective consciousness. The map creates a vehicle for community members of reading age to understand a critical moment in the history of Wilmington and New Hanover County. While the idea for the map predated the pandemic—work started in 2019--the Museum made a commitment to creating additional virtual resources during 2020. This project squarely fits into that commitment, and was well-received by teachers, academics, the local press and general public.