North Carolina is known as both the "Tar Heel State" and the "Old North State." The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina’s prominence from the mid-18th through the 19th century as a producer of turpentine, tar, pitch, and other materials from the state’s plentiful pine trees. The term “Tar Heel” was often applied to the laborers who worked to produce these materials. During the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers embraced the term “tar heels” as an expression of state pride. The nickname was widely adopted and North Carolina became known as the "Tar Heel State".[1]
North Carolina became the 12th state of the United States on November 21, 1789.[2] The state encompasses an area of almost 53,821 square miles, making it the 28th largest state in the USA.[3] As of July 2023, the estimated population of North Carolina is around 10,835,491.
In 2022, North Carolina’s total gross state product was around $609 billion. The state’s economy ranks 12th in size among states.[4] Its economic growth rate for the 3rd quarter of 2023 was 4.6% per year.[5] North Carolina’s industrial output includes textiles, chemicals, electrical equipment, paper and pulp, and paper products.[6] Its agricultural outputs include poultry and eggs, tobacco, hogs, milk, nursery stock, cattle, sweet potatoes, cotton, and soybeans. North Carolina is the leading producer of tobacco in the country.[7]
Some of the state’s most attractive features include the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in America,[8] and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States[2]. The state is also home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Uwharrie National Forest, and dozens of state parks.[9]
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History of North Carolina
The first European expedition known to have explored the coast of modern North Carolina was led by Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524.[10] The earliest English attempt at colonization was the Roanoke Colony in 1585, known as the “Lost Colony” of Sir Walter Raleigh.[11] When English colonists first attempted to settle on Roanoke Island, they encountered many Native American tribes along the coast of what is now North Carolina. At that time, more than thirty Native American tribes were living in the area. They spoke languages derived from three language groups: the Siouan, Iroquoian, and Algonquian.
During the late 17th century, settlement in North Carolina proceeded from Virginia migration, first into the Albemarle region, then into the Pamlico district. By 1710, the new sparsely settled province had a capital at Edenton. The migration caused growing alarm among the Indian populations resulting in a conflict that raged on and off for four years concluding in 1715 with the decimation of the Indians and the opening up of additional land to white settlement.[12]
North Carolina joined the Confederacy with some reluctance, mainly due to the presence of Unionist sentiment within the state. North Carolina declared its secession from the Union on May 20, 1861. The state provided more men for the Confederate cause than any other state.[13]
The 19th century saw North Carolina transitioning from an agricultural economy to industrialization. Infrastructure development, such as the establishment of a state highway commission and rural electrification, took place.[14] The 20th century brought many changes to North Carolina, including heavy investment in infrastructure, social reforms, and shifts in agricultural and industrial strengths.[15] The state saw significant growth in long-distance transportation and communication, national reform movements, and involvement in the First World War.[16] North Carolina also experienced a marked shift in its major agricultural and industrial strengths, with textiles, tobacco, and furniture being the strong underpinnings of early 20th-century agriculture, manufacturing, and trade.[16]
Demographics of North Carolina
The demographic distribution of North Carolina is as follows:[17]
- White: 66.22%
- Black or African American: 21.16%
- Two or more races: 4.83%
- Other race: 3.59%
- Asian: 3.04%
- Native American: 1.1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%
Most common surnames in North Carolina
According to the Forebears.io website, the ten most common surnames in North Carolina are:
| Surname | Incidence | Frequency |
| Smith | 130,234 | 1:81 |
| Williams | 92,275 | 1:115 |
| Johnson | 88,407 | 1:120 |
| Jones | 86,281 | 1:123 |
| Brown | 70,699 | 1:150 |
| Davis | 67,997 | 1:156 |
| Moore | 44,416 | 1:239 |
| Miller | 40,683 | 1:260 |
| Taylor | 40,171 | 1:264 |
| Wilson | 39,408 | 1:269 |
Researching family history in North Carolina
North Carolina has 85 colleges and universities and many of these institutions have special collections libraries. In cooperation with colleges and universities, the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center works with cultural heritage organizations of all sizes across North Carolina to digitize and publish historic materials online. The North Carolina State Archives has documents dating back to colonial times. The Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies works with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the N.C. Zoo, the State Library of North Carolina, the State Archives of North Carolina, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program.
North Carolina county list
| Alamance | Alexander | Alleghany | Anson |
| Ashe | Avery | Beaufort | Bertie |
| Bladen | Brunswick | Buncombe | Burke |
| Cabarrus | Caldwell | Camden | Carteret |
| Caswell | Catawba | Chatham | Cherokee |
| Chowan | Clay | Cleveland | Columbus |
| Craven | Cumberland | Currituck | Dare |
| Davidson | Davie | Duplin | Durham |
| Edgecombe | Forsyth | Franklin | Gaston |
| Gates | Graham | Granville | Greene |
| Guilford | Halifax | Harnett | Haywood |
| Henderson | Hertford | Hoke | Hyyde |
| Iredell | Jackson | Johnston | Jones |
| Lee | Lenoir | Lincoln | Macon |
| Martin | Madison | McDowell | Mecklenburg |
| Mitchell | Montgomery | Moore | Nash |
| New Hanover | Northampton | Onslow | Orange |
| Pamlico | Pasquotank | Pender | Perquimans |
| Person | Pitt | Polk | Randolph |
| Richmond | Robeson | Rockingham | Rowan |
| Rutherford | Sampson | Scotland | Stanly |
| Stokes | Surry | Swain | Transylvania |
| Tyrrell | Union | Vance | Wake |
| Warren | Washington | Watauga | Wayne |
| Wilkes | Wilson | Yadkin | Yancy |
See also
Explore more about North Carolina
MyHeritage.com has 71 collections of records from North Carolina including the following: North Carolina, Deaths, 1931-1994, North Carolina, Voter Registrations, North Carolina Marriages, North Carolina Newspapers, 1852-2009, North Carolina, Deaths, 1906-1930. and Service Records of Confederate Soldiers. The additional records are found in the North Carolina Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ What's a Tar Heel? | Carolina Alumni
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 57 Interesting Facts About North Carolina
- ↑ North Carolina: Facts, Map and State Symbols - EnchantedLearning.com
- ↑ Real GDP by state U.S. 2022
- ↑ Economy of North Carolina Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth
- ↑ 2022 North Carolina Manufacturing Facts
- ↑ Agricultural Statistics | NC Agriculture
- ↑ 23 Top Things to Do in North Carolina
- ↑ Natural & Scenic Attractions in North Carolina
- ↑ Exploration, European- Part 2: Initial European Expeditions | NCpedia
- ↑ The Founding of North Carolina Colony and Its Role in the Revolution
- ↑ Early Settlement | NCpedia
- ↑ Civil War - North Carolina History
- ↑ Nineteenth-Century North Carolina Timeline | NCMOH
- ↑ Twentieth Century | NCpedia
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 NCpedia
- ↑ North Carolina Population 2024 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)