Research
The Capitol used the following sources when researching and creating this website. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all source materials. Instead, it is a list of some publicly available sources found in digitized repositories, broken down by repository. If you have questions about these sources or about navigating these repositories, please email us at [email protected] or contact us.
State Archives of North Carolina
- Capital Buildings records
- “Early history of Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina. A centennial address delivered by invitation of the Committee on the centennial celebration of the foundation of the city.” October 18, 1892.
- “Early Times in Raleigh.” addresses delivered by the Hon. David L. Swain, 1867.
- General Assembly Session Records
- Map of the City of Raleigh. Surveyed and drawn by J.W. Johnson, 1847.
- Plan of the city of Raleigh first published in the year 1834. Map printed by Walters, Hughes and Company, Raleigh, N.C. From the book, Early Times in Raleigh Addresses Delivered by the Hon. David L. Swain, 1867.
- Report of the commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. Philo White, Printer to the State, Legislature of North Carolina, 1834.
- Shaffer’s map of the City of Raleigh, 1888.
- “Sketches of the early history of the city of Raleigh. Centennial address, fourth of July.” 1876.
Digital Library on American Slavery
- Cato Haywood. “$50 reward,” Raleigh, NC, 1837. North Carolina Runaway Slave Advertisements Digital Collection.
- Tim Harrison. “$100 reward,” Raleigh, NC, 1836. North Carolina Runaway Slave Advertisements Digital Collection.
- Tim Harrison. “Thirty Dollars Reward,” Raleigh, NC, 1841. North Carolina Runaway Slave Advertisements Digital Collection.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Documenting the American South
- Cooper, Anna Julia. A Voice From the South. Xenia, OH: The Aldine Printing House, 1892.
- Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Written by Herself. Boston, MA, 1861.
- Jones, Friday. Days of Bondage. Autobiography of Friday Jones. Being a Brief Narrative of His Trials and Tribulations in Slavery. Washington, D.C.: Commercial Pub. Co., 1883.
- Lane, Lunsford Lane. The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C. Embracing an Account of His Early Life, the Redemption by Purchase of Himself and Family from Slavery, and His Banishment from the Place of His Birth for the Crime of Wearing a Colored Skin. Published by Himself. Boston: J.G. Torrey, Printer, 1842.
- North Carolina, Slaves and Free Persons of Color. An Act Concerning Slaves and Free Persons of Color. North Carolina General Assembly, 1831.
News
Check out these articles for more information on the From Naming to Knowing project.
- Who built North Carolina’s state capitol?, WRAL news, February 20, 2024
- Photos documents tell the untold story of enslaved people who built NC Capitol, WRAL news, February 20, 2024
- WPTF Morning Show, February 20, 2024
- Historians present initial findings about enslaved workers who built NC State Capitol, WUNC North Carolina Public Radio, February 21, 2024
- Researching the Enslaved Laborers at the State Capitol, virtual program presented by the State Archives of North Carolina in partnership with NC State Capitol staff, February 21, 2024
Modern Resources
Check out these resources on researching the lives of enslaved people from other organizations in North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
- Uncovered Stories, Episode 1: Finding Enslaved Labor in the Treasurer’s and Comptroller’s Papers, Connecting the Docs podcast, published February 7, 2024
- Records of Enslaved People, State Library of North Carolina
