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Photo 2: Members of the African-American Third N.C. Regiment at their encampment near Macon, Georgia, 1899.

Dr. Manassa T. Pope, left, Col. James H. Young, center, Marcus W. Alston, right.

Illustration 1: "Scene on the Atlantic and N.C. Railroad. What Occurred When Negro Troops Were Travelling [sic] on that Railroad Under Republican Management."

The Third North Carolina Regiment was formed in 1898 at the request of Governor Daniel Russell, under his primary black adviser, James H. Young (center in Photo 2). It was the second black battalion in the country to be commanded entirely by black officers. Though the regiment never actually went to battle, their existence was very controversial.

To many people, these soldiers posed a threat to white supremacy. One influential Raleigh newspaper, ran by prominent white Democrats, went so far as to publish insulting cartoons directed at the Third Regiment, as well as slanderous accounts about the men and their activities.

To African Americans, however, members of the Third Regiment were celebrated as examples of success and hope for equal rights.

Questions for Photo 2 and Illustration 1

1. Who served in the Third Regiment? Why is that significant? What kind of message do you think it sends to society that these men were willing to serve their country even though they were not treated as equal citizens?

2. The Pope House Museum still holds Dr. Pope's Spanish-American War medical bag and his sword. How might that increase the historical importance of the portrait? How might Photo 2 be used in helping interpret the artifacts so that others may learn more?

3. What do you think was the intended message of Illustration 1? How does this relate to the political context at this time in North Carolina, as described in Reading 1?

4) How does Photo 2 contradict the message in Illustration 1? Explain your answer.

* The photo and illustration on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 2 and Illustration 1, but be aware that each file will take as much as 40 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.