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American Coup: Wilmington 1898 tells the little-known story of a race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC, in which white supremacists overthrew the multi-racial “Fusion” government of North Carolina’s largest city through a coordinated campaign of violence and intimidation that destroyed Black political and economic power and imposed white control. 

PBS North Carolina invites you to explore the history, stories and situations leading up to and following the tragic events of Wilmington in 1898, and presents opportunities for students and teachers to examine and analyze crucial themes and issues that remain pertinent today through educational lesson plans and more. 

American Coup: Wilmington 1898 | Interactive Lesson

In this interactive lesson, students will learn about the 1898 Wilmington coup, a violent uprising of white supremacists that overthrew an integrated Fusionist government and shattered North Carolina’s largest city. White supremacists within North Carolina’s Democratic Party devised a deliberate series of strategies and tactics, including a relentless propaganda campaign that led directly not only to the coup itself but to new state laws that effectively disenfranchised North Carolina’s Black citizens. This lesson includes five video segments from American Coup: Wilmington 1898.

Erasing the History of the Wilmington Coup

Learn how the history of the 1898 Wilmington coup and race massacre was effectively erased from textbooks and collective memory in this video adapted from American Coup: Wilmington 1898.

The Role of the Press and the 1898 Wilmington Coup | Interactive Lesson

In this interactive lesson, students will learn about the 1898 Wilmington Coup, the only successful coup in U.S. history, which resulted in voter intimidation, the forceful eviction of elected Black politicians and municipal officeholders, and a landslide victory for the Democratic Party candidates in Wilmington, North Carolina. It also led to violence that killed dozens and displaced thousands of Black Wilmingtonians, who had to flee their homes and businesses—most never to return. In the lesson, students will focus on the roles played by the press to better understand its power in shaping public opinion at a time when alternative sources of information were limited.

How the Fusionist Government Challenged the Status Quo

Learn how just decades after the Civil War, Black North Carolinians saw an opportunity to “fuse” together with the largely White Populist Party for common goals in this digital video from American Experience.

City of Hope: Wilmington Before the Coup | Interactive Lesson

What was Wilmington, North Carolina like in the years before the 1898 Coup? This lesson celebrates the leadership, organization, courage, civic engagement, and patriotism of Wilmington's Black community during the late 1800s.

Abraham Galloway | Wilmington Before the Coup

From his daring escape from slavery and fearless work as a Union spy during the Civil War, to his community organization, participation as a delegate at the 1868 North Carolina Constitutional Convention, and election as State Senator later that year, Abraham Galloway set a high standard for all citizens of Wilmington–and for every American–to emulate. Use this resource to learn about Galloway’s extraordinary–and tragically brief–life.

The Right to Learn | Wilmington Before the Coup

Learn about the importance of education in Wilmington’s Black Community, and how that community pursued education not only before it was free, but before it was legal for enslaved people to be educated. In its 1868 constitution, North Carolina became the first state in the nation to guarantee all children the right to a free education, declaring: "The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools."

Politics in the City | Wilmington Before the Coup

With the ratification of a progressive state constitution on the line in the Spring of 1898, the Black residents of Wilmington, North Carolina, swiftly organized and took action. This resource highlights the powerful civic engagement of Wilmington's Black communities, who worked not only to secure the Constitution's ratification but also to elect Black men to public office.

Excellence in Wilmington | Wilmington Before the Coup

Researched, written and produced by 11th- and 12th-grade students at Middle Creek High School in Apex, North Carolina, this video profiles two influential Black leaders from Wilmington before the 1898 Coup: William H. McLaurin, a Reconstruction-era political leader and Navy veteran, and Alexander Manly, the outspoken editor of the Wilmington Daily Record. Through faith, education, and civic action, both men exemplified Black excellence and left legacies of leadership and resistance.

Our Funders & Partners

American Coup: Wilmington 1898 has been made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Atlantic Packaging. Additional support comes from the Ford Foundation JustFilms, NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Firelight Media, Black Public Media and Andy and Tracy Lowenthal.

Support for complementary education and engagement initiatives provided by the Elizabeth L. Carter Foundation, the Truist Foundation, and North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by Wendy and Michael Brenner, Blanche Williamson, The Robinson-Hill Humanitarian Fund, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and by John and Mary Louise Burress, Leigh Carter, Michael and Kathleen Glancy, Kate Woodbury and an anonymous donor. 

Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this film do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.