A header with various transportation scenes and the site title, Moving North Carolina

The Documentary

Moving North Carolina started out as a public television documentary. Like the blog that spun off from it, the video offers a fresh telling of our state's history as a story of evolving transportation and a people on the move.

Most of us take our roads and bridges, airports and railroads for granted. We have no trouble getting from one place to another. This excellent documentary reminds us that this has not always been the case in North Carolina with our treacherous coastlines, shallow rivers, nearly impenetrable mountains, and roads that were more mud and rut than anything else. This “moving” documentary tells the compelling stories of how our state pulled itself out of the mud and into the 21st century. 

Susan Klutz, Secretary of the NC Department of Cultural Resources

On this page, you can:

This unique exploration of our state's history brought together a creative team of North Carolinians already widely known individually for their colorful story telling in word, in music and on the screen.

Bland Simpson, host of the public television documentary Moving North Carolina
Bland Simpson

In the video documentary version of Moving North Carolina, show host Bland Simpson – one of our state’s best-loved storytellers in book and song and in the classroom – leads the viewer on a lively tour through 300 years of North Carolina history. Aided by animated maps, vintage movies, modern video footage and hundreds of archival photos, Bland spins the tale of our state on the move as only he could tell it.

Jack Herrick – of the rambunctious Red Clay Ramblers – created an original music score that anchors each scene in its historic context, and yet propels the fast moving story ever forward.

Michael Sheehan, who wrote and produced Moving North Carolina, has been creating videos for and about North Carolina for 40 years.

Moving North Carolina is available for purchase on DVD and on Blu-ray.

DVD and BlueRay disc cases

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This one-hour show makes a great gift for anyone who loves North Carolina, or for anyone you want to help understand our state. (And don’t forget to pick one up for yourself.) List prices are $24.95 for DVD’s and $29.95 for Blu-ray discs. 

BUT as a thank-you for visiting this site, we are pleased to offer both disc formats for the discounted price of $19.95.

Take a sneak peek of the show or go ahead and purchase.