North Carolina History Series
in partnership with Tryon Palace
NC History Center, Cullman Auditorium - 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: (3-Event Series Pass $25 OR Adults $10 / Students $5)

The North Carolina History lecture series continues with the goal to engage the broader community and expand the understanding of, and engagement in, the fascinating history of New Bern, Craven County and the state. We are pleased to welcome a very diverse group of four historians for this year’s series.

The series is presented by the Lifetime Learning Center and Tryon Palace, in partnership with the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the New Bern Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Sunday, February 7, 2027
The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts
Speaker: Dr. Gregg Hecimovich, author of the award-winning book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, will share the fascinating story of Hannah Crafts and her remarkable novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative — generally regarded as the earliest known novel written by an African American woman who had herself been enslaved. Hecimovich’s research identifies Crafts as Hannah Bond, an enslaved woman held by John H. Wheeler and his wife, Ellen, in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Discover the extraordinary life behind this literary mystery.