1. The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898
In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina became the site of a violent coup d’état—the only one in U.S. history. White supremacists armed themselves, overthrew the city’s legitimately elected biracial government, and unleashed chaos in the streets. Dozens of Black residents were killed, and many more were forced to flee their homes permanently. Those responsible not only seized power but also rewrote local laws to suppress Black political participation for decades. This dark chapter remains largely overlooked in mainstream history books.
