North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the constitution on Nov. 21, 1789. Its capital is Raleigh.
THE land that would become North Carolina was home to several indigenous peoples including the Cherokee, Machaponga and Saponi nations.
The first English colony in America was claimed in 1583 on Roanoke Island but not settled.
The venture was sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, who had also explored the Virginia territory.
North Carolina’s capital is named in honor of him.
In 1587, a second group arrived led by John White, a friend of Raleigh’s. White’s daughter delivered the first English child born on American soil on Aug. 18, 1587. Her name was Virginia Dare.
The colonists tried to establish good relations with the natives who had been attacked the year before by the earlier settlers, but they were unsuccessful. Fearing for their safety, the group sailed back to England.
There are no records documenting the breakup of the 1587 colony and it is often referred to as the “lost colony.” British settlers migrated south from Virginia and in 1663, established the Province of Carolina. North Carolina was a separate territory and a royal colony.
The land was discovered to be a rich source for tar and pitch used by the English Navy, earning it the nickname, “tar heel state.” On April 12, 1776, the colony voted for independence from Britain.
North Carolina saw few skirmishes during the Revolutionary War, but on March 15, 1781, Commander Nathaniel Greene and British Gen. Charles Cornwallis met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in Greensboro. Though the British army held its position, it suffered many casualties leading to the ill-fated retreat to Yorktown, which resulted in Cornwallis’ surrender, ending the war.
On Nov. 21 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the Constitution, but not without some reluctance from the state’s delegates. The state didn’t sign the Constitution until the document included the rights of the people.
This led to the creation of the Bill of Rights.
Though California is famous for its gold rush, the first one occurred in North Carolina after the precious metal was discovered by 12 year-old Conrad John Reed along Little Meadow Creek. The discovery sparked a gold rush that was in full swing by 1803. All of the nation’s gold coins from 1804 to 1828 were made of Carolina gold.
Relations with the local natives continued to deteriorate and the Federal Indian Removal Policy was put in place to forcibly remove the natives. In 1838, with the blessing of President Andrew Jackson, more than 14,000 of North Carolina’s Cherokees along with the members Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations were forced from their ancestral lands to walk over one thousand miles to Oklahoma on what as known as the Trail of Tears.
During the Civil War (1861-1865) though North Carolina was a slave state, it refused to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln ordered it to invade sister-state, South Carolina.
It refused and reluctantly seceded – the last Southern state to do so, ultimately sending 125,000 soldiers to fight for the Confederacy.
On Dec. 17, 1903 history was made as Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully flew the first powered heavier than air flying machine – the airplane. Why did they choose North Carolina to test their device?
The wind and sand were perfect.
North Carolina has the most variable climate of any of the southeastern states. It also frequently feels the effects of hurricanes.
If you go, there are many beautiful, natural wonders to enjoy, especially if you love mountains.
The Blue Ridge, Smokey and Appalachian mountain ranges are all in the state.
Famous natives include journalist David Brinkley, singer Roberta Flack and basketball great Michael Jordan.
North Carolina firsts:
* Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in Fayetteville on March 7, 1914.
* The first Pepsi Cola was served in New Bern in 1898.
* Krispy Kreme doughnuts were created in Winston Salem in 1937.
* The University of North Carolina was the nation’s first public university.
Today’s lesson fulfills the following New York standards: ELA 1c, 3c, 3d, 5a Social Studies Standards 1 and 3 Newspapers in the Classroom Sponsored by Raising Billions to Educate Millions For more information about the Classroom Extra program, contact Customer Service at 1-212-801-0100. Today’s lesson can be found at nypost.com. Click
NEW YORK POST ACTIVITIES
USE the Internet or other reference source to learn more about North Carolina.
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USE a map or globe to locate the state and places of interest especially the mountain ranges.
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LEARN more about events that occurred in the state, including the Wright Brother’s flight and the Trail of Tears.
