Early US history captivates visitors with stories of clandestine meetings, important document signings and the places where battles were fought. Learn how particular factors and players affected each site, as well as how battles impacted the trajectory of the nation’s story.
Halifax State Historic Site
With fewer than 200 residents, Halifax might be easy to overlook on an atlas. But it’s hard to chart the birth of the United States without the early influence of this Colonial community within a few miles of Interstate-95. On April 12, 1776, the provincial Congress here unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves. This made North Carolina the first Colony to call for total independence from Great Britain. Less than three months later, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.
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“With America’s 250th anniversary commemoration taking place right now, it’s a pretty big deal,” says Frank McMahon, assistant site manager at Halifax State Historic Site. Depending on the day, you can find McMahon and other costumed interpreters giving Colonial beer-making presentations, leading printing-press demonstrations and teaching 18th-century games in the restored 1790 Eagle Tavern. “Taverns in those days were like a hotel, restaurant and bar,” McMahon says of the civic gathering place.
Along the Roanoke River, Halifax also served as a hub in a maritime Underground Railroad for freedom seekers, which McMahon highlights on tours. (Visitors can also follow a short Underground Railroad trail with interpretive signage along the river.) A renovation of the visitors center at Halifax State Historic Site is slated for completion during the ongoing 250th celebrations. And negotiations are underway to secure on loan an original Halifax Resolves document from the Library of Congress.
More to Explore
1 Averasboro Battlefield and Museum
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1 Averasboro Battlefield and Museum
DunnSee on mapMore than 28,000 Union and Confederate troops clashed on this former plantation of the John Smith family in March 1865. The multiday battle left nearly 1,500 wounded and dead. You can visit the restored Chicora Civil War Cemetery and a tract of land that the Confederates’ first defense line occupied.
2 Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site
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2 Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site
Four Oaks See on mapPlan a March trip for the dynamic 160th anniversary reenactment of the state’s largest-ever battle. The grounds mark where Confederate troops mounted the only significant attempt to defeat Gen. William T. Sherman’s march through the Carolinas.
3 Fort Fisher State Historic Site
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3 Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Kure BeachSee on mapOnce home to a firing range and other services in the early 1940s, visitors now meander through marshland, forest and beaches, following 6 miles of shoreline to sightings of loggerhead sea turtles and piping plovers.
4 Fort Macon State Park
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4 Fort Macon State Park
Atlantic Beach See on mapThe US Army built this brick fortress before the Civil War as a national coastal defense. An ambitious restoration preserved impeccable details throughout the barracks and exterior walls. It’s no wonder the popular park draws some 1 million visitors a year.
5 Moores Creek National Battlefield
5 Moores Creek National Battlefield
Currie See on mapWhen loyalist forces reached Moores Creek on Feb. 27, 1776, it sparked the first battle of the American Revolution in North Carolina. The National Park Service site offers a visitors center, miles of trails and a November candlelight tour of the battlefield after dark.
Outdoor NC tip: Be considerate of others and share the outdoors. People have a range of skill levels and different ideas about how to enjoy the outdoors. Respect others so that North Carolina’s natural spaces will be welcoming and relaxing for all.
Locate sites with more historical lore in The Official 2025 North Carolina Travel Guide.