The Kingdom of the Happy Land was a community of emancipated people in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains.

In the summer of 1873, a group of freedpeople journeyed from Spartanburg County, South Carolina to establish a new community. They called this place the Kingdom of the Happy Land. Their journey and the Kingdom’s creation are surrounded by lore and speculation. Today, we have been able to track down official records of the founders. A deeper, more accurate interpretation of the creation of the Kingdom of the Happy Land has been unearthed.

We invite you to explore these records, and uncover the truths about the Kingdom, its founders, and the broader context of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emerge in these sources. Thank you for visiting.

This site showcases a diverse collection of archives about the Kingdom of the Happy Land and its founders. Some materials use offensive language. For the best viewing experience, please use Google Chrome as your web browser.