Gold Mining in North Carolina: A Bicentennial History

The first documented discovery of gold in the United States was in 1799 at John Reed's farm in Cabarrus County, N.C. In the first half of the 19th century, North Carolina was the preeminent state in gold mining, yielding more of the precious metal than any other American state prior to 1849. For nearly three decades, until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, all domestic gold coined by the U.S. Mint came from North Carolina. The authors assert that the story of mining in the state offers impressive evidence of industrialization that struck a balance between industry and agriculture. They present case studies of John Reed and the Gold Hill mining district in Rowan County, which together chart North Carolina's unique role in the industry. Additional sections of the book focus on the activity at mines other than Gold Hill from 1865 well into the 20th century. Through the book, the authors discuss the role of African Americans, slave and free, in North Carolina's gold region. The volume contains 63 black-and-white illustrations, a helpful glossary of gold mining terms, and an extensive list of sources.