Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship

The Florence Kidder Memorial Scholarship (FKMS) honors the memory of the first president of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina, Florence Hill Kidder.

• Six scholarships will be awarded in one year: First place- $3,000, second place- $1,000, third place- $800 and three fourth places- $400.
• Scholarships are not renewable.
• Awarded to a high school senior who plans to attend a post-secondary institution in North Carolina.

2026 Essay Topic:

Exploring the Voices of Early Carolina: Life, Hardship and Settlement Through Primary Sources

Any written text can tell us about the time in which it was written. It can provide direct information but also offers insight through subtle implications and context. Because the NSCDA-NC is dedicated to deepening our understanding and appreciation of America’s colonial past, you will be analyzing firsthand accounts written by individuals who lived during the earliest years of English exploration and settlement in Carolina.

These primary sources include:

Robert Horne: “A Brief Description of the Province of Carolina.” (1666), p.62-73.
Thomas Newe: “Letters of Thomas Newe.” (1682), p.176-186.
Samuel Wilson: “An Account of the Province of Carolina” (1682), p.160-175.
Hilton, William. “A Relation of a Discovery.” (1664), p.31-61.

All can be found in: Salley, Alexander S. Jr., ed. Narratives of Early Carolina 1650-1708. Original Narratives of Early American History. J. Franklin Jameson, gen. ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911.
Available online: https://archive.org/details/narrearlycarolina00sallrich/page/60/mode/2up

In your essay, describe what life was like during this period, highlighting the hardships and challenges faced by both early European settlers and the Indigenous peoples of the region.

• The physical environment: landscape, climate, and natural resources
• Interpersonal dynamics: relationships within and between communities
• The prevalence and impact of disease
• Access to food, tools, and supplies
• Efforts to attract new settlers to the colony

You may consult outside resources (e.g., Wikipedia or Google Maps) for general background, but your analysis should primarily be grounded in the above-listed documents. Be sure to clearly cite any specific information drawn from your sources.

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