LLS 1319 - Unsolved North Carolina Mysteries

Credits: 3 hrs.

Do you love a good unsolved mystery? Our state is full of them! The popularity of forensic science has piqued Americans’ interest in solving mysteries, old and new. Become an historical detective, seeking to solve North Carolina’s four greatest mysteries. Delve into primary research materials, artistic depictions of the events studied, travel to the sites where two of these stories took place. We will examine the Lost Colony of Roanoke, the life of Afro-American Indian actor Buffalo Child Long Lance, the truth behind the death of Z. Smith Reynolds, and the story behind Stokes County’s Lawson Family Massacre, the state’s worst mass murder. This seminar will lead you through the process of identifying the question, offering a hypothesis, selecting sources, synthesizing material from such, articulating a solution, then re-stating original or revised hypothesis, as you try to solve baffling enigmas!