North Carolina History and Government

Located on the Atlantic Seaboard, North Carolina is known as the "Tar Heel State." The origin of this nickname is unknown, but it's thought to stem from a battle during the American Revolution, when patriots dumped tar in the appropriately named Tar River to impede the British soldiers. According to the legend, when the redcoats finally crossed over into North Carolina, their feet were completely black with tar.

In 1710, dissent in the Province of Carolina over the establishment of an Anglican state church led to the establishment of two separate governments. In 1729, the province was officially split into North and South Carolina. North Carolina became a state in 1789, famously refusing to ratify the Constitution until after the Bill of Rights was added. North Carolina was the last state to secede from the union prior to the Civil War, only doing so in 1861 after President Abraham Lincoln called upon them to invade their neighboring state of South Carolina. North Carolina also holds a prominent place in aviation history, as it was in the Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk that Orville and Wilbur Wright made their successful 1903 flight.

North Carolina's geography runs the gamut from Atlantic beaches to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Traditionally a rural state of farms and small towns, North Carolina has undergone rapid urbanization over the past three decades. Charlotte and state capital Raleigh have grown into major urban centers as financial services and manufacturing have come to supplement agriculture in the state's economy. North Carolina is also home to Research Triangle Park, one of the most prominent high-tech research and development centers in the U.S.