The Unfolding of America’s Sole Successful White Supremacist Coup

WHO:

CBS News - Lauren Collins, journalist at The New Yorker

CBS News - Cedric Harrison, local resident advocating for education about Wilmington's history

CBS News - Tom Keith, local historian discussing his grandfather B.F. Keith's opposition to white supremacy

CBS News - Hugh MacRae III, descendant of businessman Hugh MacRae involved in the coup

CBS News - Elaine Brown, great-granddaughter of Joshua Halsey, a victim of the coup

WHAT:

CBS News - The event described is the only successful coup in U.S. history, which occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898.

CBS News - A mob attacked The Daily Record, Wilmington's only Black newspaper, setting it on fire.

CBS News - The mob killed three Black men and used a machine gun to fire on Black residents, resulting in a death toll estimated to range from dozens to hundreds.

CBS News - The coup resulted in the resignation of all Black officials at gunpoint from Wilmington's city hall.

WHERE:

CBS News - Wilmington, North Carolina

CBS News - First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, where Lauren Collins was baptized

WHEN:

CBS News - The coup took place on November 10, 1898.

CBS News - Lauren Collins' book "They Stole a City" is set to be published on an unspecified Tuesday.

WHY:

CBS News - The coup was motivated by a desire among white supremacists to purge Wilmington of Black influence and regain control of the city's government.

HOW:

CBS News - White supremacists organized a campaign centered around the issue of white supremacy, using a handbook to guide their actions.

CBS News - The coup involved armed violence, including the use of a machine gun against unarmed Black residents.

(UPDATED July 12, 2026 15:14 UTC)

In Wilmington, North Carolina, a significant discussion is taking place surrounding the 1898 coup, the only successful coup in U.S. history, which saw a mob attack The Daily Record, the city's only Black newspaper, resulting in the deaths of three Black men and an estimated toll that could reach into the hundreds. Local historian Tom Keith, along with journalist Lauren Collins and advocates like Cedric Harrison, are shedding light on this dark chapter, emphasizing the violent efforts by white supremacists to eliminate Black influence from the city's government. Collins' upcoming book, "They Stole a City," will further explore these events, with its release scheduled for an unspecified Tuesday.