All of you history buffs and Lifelong Learners out there may know a lot about the Civil War, but do you know about Greater Raleigh’s involvement in the war? As North Carolinians and Americans all over commemorate the sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of the American Civil War, it is the perfect time to take a look back.

Watch this three-minute video that  provides an overview of the Raleigh area’s Civil War heritage, including highlights of the state’s Ordinance of Secession to the war’s final surrender negotiated by Generals Johnston and Sherman while Sherman was headquartered in Raleigh’s Governor’s Palace.

If you prefer to read your history, then check out this overview of Greater Raleigh and the Civil War, and then get out and about to see for yourself! There are 25 historic Civil War sites in the Raleigh area that you can visit for an up-close and personal learning experience. You can use this interactive map as a resource to guide your exploration.

What are some of your favorite historic sites in Greater Raleigh? Which Civil War sites are you most interested in visiting, or which ones do you wish could have been preserved exactly as they looked in 1865?