So you think you know about Carolina history? Then come out to the 14th Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl to show the town what you’ve got.

The Museum of Cape Fear keeps the history of our great nation and local community alive by hosting several events throughout the year. The Civil War Quiz Bowl is one of them andit makes learning a fun engagement for all ages. While the event is sponsored by the Museum of the Cape Fear, it is hosted by the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center. The quiz bowl, slated for Jan. 29, will have 20 constants who will be asked different questions covering all aspect of the war. For example: Name the runaway slave, born in Smithville, N.C. (later renamed Southport) who served as an intelligence agent for Union General Benjamin Butler.

Prizes are awarded to two winners in the youth category (up to age 16) and the adult category, which includes ages 17 and up. The museum staff comes up with the series of questions that can often stump even the most knowledgeable person.

“Those who learn history can hear the voices of so many. And we can learn stories about individuals as well as groups of people. There is importance in understanding the actions of people from the past and what their lives were like. I think it makes us better human beings in the present and gives hope to the future,” said Leisa Greathouse, the curator of education at Museum of the Cape Fear.

Although many theorists and history buffs may have completely different thoughts about the Civil War, three important facts always come to mind President Lincoln, freedom and bridging the gap between North and South.

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” by Julia Ward Howe, speaks volumes about how American’s must have felt during the times of brutality and hardship. Like many other areas across the country, during the war, Fayetteville suffered food shortages and fear of what was to come. Women and children where left with farms to maintain and the future for the slaves depended on how the war ended.

The country’s history shows that modern day America has made more than a few changes.

“The Civil War was the beginning of a new paradoxical era. It freed the slaves but they were not accepted into the larger society. While the Freedman’s Bureau was the channel to acclimate the newly freed persons into the American society, former slaves and persons of color in general, had a tough go of it,” said Greathouse.

The community of Fayetteville has deep roots within the history of the Civil War. Arsenal Park is where firearms where crafted for the war.

“On the second floor of the museum is a Civil War exhibit. In commemoration of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, three new exhibit cases were changed and allowed the museum to exhibit some unique artifacts. In one case there are artifacts recovered from the Modern Greece, a blockade runner that ran aground at Fort Fisher. In another case are four models of Fayetteville Rifles. Each of those weapons were constructed at the Fayetteville Arsenal. The rifles have ended back up where they were made,” she said.

The civil war was fought from 1861 to 1865 to strengthen the union or either prove separation for the Confederates.

The Northern states that fought for the Union had approximately 22 million soldiers compared to the 9 million Confederate soldiers.The confederates were joined by 3.5 million slaves.

“There is importance in understanding the actions of people from the past and what their lives were like. I think it makes us better human beings in the present and gives hope to the future,” said Greathouse.

The Quiz bowl will be held Thurs. Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Pate Room at the Headquarters Library 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, N.C. 28301.

For more information or to compete in the Quiz Bowl contact Leisa Greathouse at 910-486-1330, or email leisa.greathouse@ncdcr.gov.