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North Carolina

January 02, 2023

This article is about the U.S. state. For the former British colony, see Province of North Carolina. For other uses, see North Carolina (disambiguation).
"The Old North State" redirects here. For the song, see The Old North State (song).

North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ (listen)) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. In the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388.[7] Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with a population of 2,595,027 in 2020,[8] is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 21st-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City.[9] The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd-most populous in the United States, with a population of 2,043,867 in 2020,[10] and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.

North Carolina
State
Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Tarheel State; Old North State
Motto(s): 
Esse quam videri:[a] "To be, rather than to seem"
Anthem: The Old North State[1]
Map of the United States with North Carolina highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodProvince of North Carolina
Admitted to the UnionNovember 21, 1789 (12th)
CapitalRaleigh
Largest cityCharlotte
Largest metro and urban areasCharlotte
Government
 • GovernorRoy Cooper (D)
 • Lieutenant GovernorMark Robinson (R)
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryNorth Carolina Supreme Court
U.S. senatorsRichard Burr (R)
Thom Tillis (R)
U.S. House delegation
  • 8 Republicans
  • 5 Democrats
(list)
Area
 • Total53,819 sq mi (139,390 km2)
 • Land48,711 sq mi (126,161 km2)
 • Water1,972 sq mi (5,108 km2)  9.5%
 • Rank28th
Dimensions
 • Length500[2] mi (804 km)
 • Width184 mi (296 km)
Elevation
700 ft (210 m)
Highest elevation
(Mount Mitchell[3][b])
6,684 ft (2,037 m)
Lowest elevation
(Atlantic Ocean[3])
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total10,698,973
 • Rank9th
 • Density219.64/sq mi (84.80/km2)
  • Rank15th
 • Median household income
$52,752[4]
 • Income rank
39th
Demonym(s)North Carolinian (official);
Tarheel (colloquial)
Language
 • Official languageEnglish[5]
 • Spoken languageAs of 2010[6]
  • English 90.70%
  • Spanish 6.93%
  • Other 2.73%
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
NC
ISO 3166 codeUS-NC
Traditional abbreviationN.C.
Latitude33° 50′ N to 36° 35′ N
Longitude75° 28′ W to 84° 19′ W
Websitewww.nc.gov

The earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10,000 years, found at the Hardaway Site. North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies. North Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England who first formed the English colony, Carolus being Latin for "Charles". In 1755, colonial North Carolina received its first postmaster, James Davis, appointed by Benjamin Franklin.[11] The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution.[12]

On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution. In the run-up to the American Civil War, North Carolina declared its secession from the Union on May 20, 1861, becoming the tenth of eleven states to join the Confederate States of America. Following the Civil War, the state was restored to the Union on July 4, 1868.[13] On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully piloted the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina's Outer Banks. North Carolina often uses the slogan "First in Flight" on state license plates to commemorate this achievement, alongside a newer alternative design bearing the slogan "First in Freedom" in reference to the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves.

North Carolina is defined by a wide range of elevations and landscapes. From west to east, North Carolina's elevation descends from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain. North Carolina's Mount Mitchell at 6,684 ft (2,000 m) is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River.[14] Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone; however, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.[15]

History

Main article: History of North Carolina

Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement

See also: Native Americans in the United States, Joara, Roanoke Island, and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
 
Ceremony of Secotan warriors in North Carolina. Watercolour painted by English colonist John White in 1585.

North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10,000 years by succeeding prehistoric indigenous cultures. The Hardaway Site saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BCE. Before 200 AD, the people were building earthwork platform mounds, which were used for ceremonial and religious purposes. Succeeding peoples, including those of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, established by 1000 AD in the Piedmont and mountain region, continued to build this style of mounds. In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture (as noted below), in what became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. The smaller settlements had none but developed close to the more prominent towns. This area became known as the homelands of the historic Cherokee people, who are believed to have migrated over time from the Great Lakes area.

In the 500–700 years preceding European contact, the Mississippian culture built large, complex cities and maintained far-flung regional trading networks. Its largest city was Cahokia, which had numerous mounds for different purposes, a highly stratified society, and was located in present-day southwestern Illinois near the Mississippi River. The Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups, such as the Catawba, due to a series of destabilizing events known as the "Mississippian shatter zone". As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge, the Mississippian shatter zone was an area of great instability, in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, construction of a global capitalistic economy based on trading of Native American slaves, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies".[16]

Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the Carolina Algonquian-speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the Chowanoke, Roanoke, Pamlico, Machapunga, Coree, and Cape Fear Indians, who were the first encountered by the English; the Iroquoian-speaking Meherrin, Cherokee, and Tuscarora of the interior; and Southeastern Siouan tribes, such as the Cheraw, Waxhaw, Saponi, Waccamaw, and Catawba of the Piedmont.

In the late 16th century, the first Spanish explorers traveling inland recorded meeting Mississippian culture people at Joara, a regional chiefdom near what later developed as Morganton. Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567, Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico. Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca. His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there, while Pardo traveled further. His forces built and garrisoned five other forts. He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina, then a center of Spanish Florida. In the spring of 1568, natives killed all but one of the Spaniards and burned the six forts in the interior, including the one at Fort San Juan. Although the Spanish never returned to the interior, this effort marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States. A 16th-century journal by Pardo's scribe Bandera, and archaeological findings since 1986 at Joara, have confirmed the settlement.[17][18]

Anglo-European settlement

 
Sir Walter Raleigh, namesake of the state capitol of North Carolina, Raleigh

In 1584, Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then part of the territory of Virginia).[19] It was the second American territory which the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The fate of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Virginia Dare, the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; Dare County is named for her.

As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the area of Albemarle Sound. By 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to start a new colony on the North American continent; this would generally establish North Carolina's borders. He named it Carolina in honor of his father, Charles I.[20] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. In 1712 owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina would become a crown colony in 1729.[21]

Most of the English colonists had arrived as indentured servants, hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage. In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from unions or marriages between free white women and enslaved or free African or African-American men. Because the mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.[22] As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain, planters imported more slaves, and the state's legal delineations between free and slave status tightened, effectively hardening the latter into a racial caste. The economy's growth and prosperity was based on slave labor, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco.

In 1738–1739, smallpox would cause high fatalities among the Native Americans, who had no immunity to the new disease (it had become endemic over centuries in Europe).[23] According to the historian Russell Thornton, "The 1738 epidemic was said to have killed one-half of the Cherokee, with other tribes of the area suffering equally."[24]

Colonial period

Main articles: Province of Carolina, Province of North-Carolina, French and Indian War, Treaty of Paris (1763), American Revolutionary War, United States Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation § Ratification

After the Spanish in the 16th century, the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from Virginia. The latter had grown rapidly and land was less available. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[25] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale English settlement.[26] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors, a group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. The new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles I (Latin: Carolus). A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as Cary's Rebellion. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. Except for the Earl Granville holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[27]

In June 1718, the pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in present-day Carteret County. After the grounding her crew and supplies were transferred to smaller ships. In November 1718, after appealing to the governor of North Carolina, who promised safe-haven and a pardon, Blackbeard was killed in an ambush by troops from Virginia.[28] In 1996, Intersal, Inc., a private firm, discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne's Revenge, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[29]

North Carolina became one of the Thirteen Colonies and with the territory of South Carolina was originally known as the Province of North Carolina. The northern and southern parts of the original province separated in 1712, with North Carolina becoming a royal colony in 1729. Originally settled by small farmers, sometimes having a few slaves, who were oriented toward subsistence agriculture, the colony lacked large cities or towns. Pirates menaced the coastal settlements, but by 1718 the pirates had been captured and killed. Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century, as the economy attracted Scots-Irish, Quaker, English and German immigrants. A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the American Revolution, although there were some Loyalists. Loyalists in North Carolina were smaller in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.[30][31][32]

During colonial times, Edenton served as the state capital beginning in 1722, followed by New Bern becoming the capital in 1766. Construction of Tryon Palace, which served as the residence and offices of the provincial governor William Tryon, began in 1767 and was completed in 1771. In 1788, Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital, as its central location protected it from coastal attacks. Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital, the city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.[33] The population of the colony more than quadrupled from 52,000 in 1740 to 270,000 in 1780 from high immigration from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, plus immigrants from abroad.[34]

North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg Virginia to act as their official printer. Before this time the laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were largely kept in a disorganized manner, prompting them to hire Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, became married and in 1755 was appointed by Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina's first postmaster. In October of that year the North Carolina Assembly awarded Davis the contract to carry the mail between Wilmington, North Carolina and Suffolk, Virginia. He was also active in North Carolina's politics, as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff. Davis also founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette, North Carolina's first newspaper, printed in his printing house in New Bern.[11][35]

Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the Atlantic coastal plain and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the 18th until the 20th century. Eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands. The Piedmont upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish, English, and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish, people of Scottish descent who migrated to and then emigrated from what is today Northern Ireland, were the largest non-English immigrant group before the Revolution; English indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group before the Revolution.[36][37][38][39]

Revolutionary War

During the American Revolutionary War, the English and Gaelic speaking Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain. On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British Crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress. The date of this event is memorialized on the state flag and state seal. Throughout the Revolutionary War, fierce guerrilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries.[40][41]

North Carolina had around 7,800 Patriots join the Continental Army under General George Washington; and an additional 10,000 served in local militia units under such leaders as General Nathanael Greene.[42] There was some military action, especially in 1780–81. Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains, into the Washington District (later known as Tennessee), but in 1789, following the Revolution, the state was persuaded to relinquish its claim to the western lands. It ceded them to the national government so the Northwest Territory could be organized and managed nationally.[43]

A major American victory in the war took place at King's Mountain along the North Carolina–South Carolina border; on October 7, 1780, a force of 1,000 Patriots from western North Carolina (including what is today the state of Tennessee) and southwest Virginia overwhelmed a force of some 1,000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Most of the soldiers fighting for the British side in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the Crown (they were called "Tories" or Loyalists). The American victory at King's Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.[44]

 
1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781

The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina, the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. Following General Daniel Morgan's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from the latter's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River".[27]

In the Battle of Cowan's Ford, Cornwallis met resistance along the banks of the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781, in an attempt to engage General Morgan's forces during a tactical withdrawal.[45] Morgan had moved to the northern part of the state to combine with General Greene's newly recruited forces. Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Continental Army were crippling. Following this "Pyrrhic victory", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. This decision would result in Cornwallis' eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the U.S. constitution.

Antebellum period

Main articles: Constitutional Convention (United States), Admission to the Union, and List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

After 1800, cotton and tobacco became important export crops. The eastern half of the state, especially the Coastal Plain region, developed a slave society based on a plantation system and slave labor. Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio-economic power in antebellum North Carolina. They placed their interests above those of the generally non-slave-holding "yeoman" farmers of North Carolina. While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to some other Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population out of 992,622 people in total, were enslaved African Americans.[46] They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in the state.[46] They were also mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern, where a variety of jobs were available. Most were descendants from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the 18th century. The majority were the descendants of unions in the working classes between white women, indentured servants or free, and African men, indentured, slave or free.[47]

 
Map of the roads and railroads of North Carolina, 1854

After the American Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. Some were inspired by their efforts and the language of the Revolution to arrange for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose markedly in the first couple of decades after the Revolution.[48] Many free people of color migrated to the frontier, along with their European-American neighbors, where the social system was looser. By 1810, nearly three percent of the free population consisted of free people of color, who numbered slightly more than 10,000. The western areas of North Carolina were mainly white families of European descent, especially Scotch-Irish, who operated small subsistence farms. In the early national period, the state became a center of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, with a strong Whig presence, especially in the western part of the state. After Nat Turner's slave uprising in 1831, North Carolina and other southern states reduced the rights of free blacks. In 1835, the legislature withdrew their right to vote.

In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129 mi (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad", from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem).[27] On October 25, 1836, construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad[49] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh. In 1840, the state capitol building in Raleigh was completed, and still stands today.

In 1849, the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte. During the Civil War, the Wilmington-to-Raleigh stretch of the railroad would be vital to the Confederate war effort; supplies shipped into Wilmington would be moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.[50]

American Civil War

Main articles: Ordinance of Secession, Confederate States of America, and North Carolina in the American Civil War
Further information: American Civil War
 
Union troops capture Fort Fisher, 1865

In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which one-third of the state's total population were African-American slaves. The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister state,[51] South Carolina, becoming the last or penultimate state to officially join the Confederacy. The title of "last to join the Confederacy" has been disputed; although Tennessee's informal secession on May 7, 1861, preceded North Carolina's official secession on May 20,[52][53] the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861.[54]

Around 125,000 troops from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army, and about 15,000 North Carolina troops (both black and white) served in Union Army regiments, including those who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere.[55] Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war.[56] Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in Richmond, and the state was the scene of only small battles. In 1865, Durham County saw the largest single surrender of Confederate soldiers at Bennett Place, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee and all remaining Confederate forces still active in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, totalling 89,270 soldiers.[57]

After secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. Some of the yeoman farmers chiefly in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region remained neutral during the Civil War, with others covertly supporting the Union cause during the conflict.[58] Approximately 15,000 North Carolinians (both black and white) from across the state would enlist in the Union Army. Numerous slaves would also escape to Union lines, where they became essentially free.

 
Bennett Place historic site in Durham

Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most famous army. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville, which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865.[27] In April 1865, after losing the Battle of Morrisville, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is today Durham. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington, was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union, in February 1865, after the Union won the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher, its major defense downriver.

The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt from North Carolina, in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into Union lines of any Confederate regiment. During the Battle of Chickamauga, the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield. At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. The phrase "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox", later became used through much of the early 20th century.[59]

Reconstruction era through late 19th century

Main article: Reconstruction era
 
William Woods Holden, a Unionist who served as the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina, and during the Reconstruction era

Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865, North Carolina, along with other former Confederate States (except Tennessee), was put under direct control by the U.S. military and was relieved of its constitutional government and representation within the United States Congress in what is now referred to as the Reconstruction era. In order to earn back its rights, the state had to make concessions to Washington, one of which was ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment. Congressional Republicans during Reconstruction, commonly referred to as "radical Republicans", constantly pushed for new constitutions for each of the Southern states that emphasized equal rights for African-Americans. In 1868, a constitutional convention restored the state government of North Carolina. Though the Fifteenth Amendment was also adopted that same year, it remained in most cases ineffective for almost a century, not to mention paramilitary groups and their lynching with impunity.[60]

The elections in April 1868 following the constitutional convention led to a narrow victory for a Republican-dominated government, with 19 African-Americans holding positions in the North Carolina State Legislature. In attempt to put the reforms into effect, the new Republican Governor William W. Holden declared martial law on any county allegedly not complying with law and order using the passage of the Shoffner Act.

A Republican Party coalition of black freedmen, northern carpetbaggers and local scalawags controlled state government for three years. The white conservative Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1870, in part by Ku Klux Klan violence and terrorism at the polls, to suppress black voting. Republicans were elected to the governorship until 1876, when the Red Shirts, a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the Democratic Party, helped suppress black voting. More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876.[61][62]

Post civil war-debt cycles pushed people to switch from subsistence agriculture to commodity agriculture. Among this time the notorious Crop-Lien system developed and was financially difficult on landless whites and blacks, due to high amounts of usury. Also due to the push for commodity agriculture, the free range was ended. Prior to this time people fenced in their crops and had their livestock feeding on the free range areas. After the ending of the free range people now fenced their animals and had their crops in the open.[63][64]

 
Segregated drinking fountain during the Jim Crow era in Halifax

Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor's office, but the Populists attracted voters displeased with them. In 1896 a biracial, Populist-Republican Fusionist coalition gained the governor's office and passed laws that would extend the voting franchise to blacks and poor whites. The Democrats regained control of the legislature in 1896 and passed laws to impose Jim Crow and racial segregation of public facilities. Voters of North Carolina's 2nd congressional district elected a total of four African-American congressmen through these years of the late 19th century.

Political tensions ran so high a small group of white Democrats in 1898 planned to take over the Wilmington government if their candidates were not elected. In the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, white Democrats led around 2,000 of their supporters that attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood, killed an estimated 60 to 300 people, and ran off the white Republican mayor and aldermen. They installed their own people and elected Alfred M. Waddell as mayor, in the only successful coup d'état in United States history.[65]

In 1899, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests for voter registration which disenfranchised most black Americans in the state.[66] Exclusion from voting had wide effects: it meant black Americans could not serve on juries or in any local office. After a decade of white supremacy, many people forgot North Carolina had ever had thriving middle-class black Americans.[67] Black citizens had no political voice in the state until after the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed to enforce their constitutional rights. It was not until 1992 that another African American was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

Early through mid-20th century

 
First successful flight of the Wright Flyer, near Kitty Hawk, 1903

After the reconstruction era, North Carolina had become a one-party state, dominated by the Democratic Party. The state mainly continued with an economy based on tobacco, cotton textiles and commodity agriculture. Large towns and cities remained in few numbers. However, a major industrial base emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century, in the counties of the Piedmont Triad, based on cotton mills established at the fall line. Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities.[68]

The state was the site of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, near Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.

In the first half of the 20th century, many African Americans left the state to go North for better opportunities, in the Great Migration. Their departure changed the demographic characteristics of many areas.

North Carolina was hard hit by the Great Depression, but the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers. After World War II, the state's economy grew rapidly, highlighted by the growth of such cities as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham in the Piedmont region.

Research Triangle Park, established in 1959, serves as the largest research park in the United States. Formed near Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the Research Triangle metro is a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research.

The Greensboro Sit-ins in 1960 played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks. By the late 1960s, spurred in part by the increasingly leftward tilt of national Democrats, conservative whites began to vote for Republican national candidates and gradually for more Republicans locally.[69][70]

Late 20th century to present

Since the 1970s, North Carolina has seen steady increases in population growth. This growth has largely occurred in metropolitan areas located within the Piedmont Crescent, in places such as Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh.[71] The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries.[72]

By the 1990s, Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center. Towards Raleigh, North Carolina State, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have helped the Research Triangle area attract an educated workforce and develop more jobs.[73]

In 1988, North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The hornets team name stems from the American Revolutionary War, when British General Cornwallis described Charlotte as a "hornet's nest of rebellion."[74] The Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) became based in Charlotte as well, with their first season being in 1995. The Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) moved to Raleigh in 1997, with their colors being the same as the NC State Wolfpack, who are also located in Raleigh.

By the late 20th century and into the early 21st century, economic industries such as technology, pharmaceuticals, banking, food processing, vehicle parts, and tourism started to emerge as North Carolina's main economic drivers. This marked a shift from the state's former main industries of tobacco, textiles, and furniture. Factors that played a role in this shift were globalization, the state's higher education system, national banking, the transformation of agriculture, and new companies moving to the state.[75]

Geography

Main article: Geography of North Carolina
 
Interactive map of North Carolina
 
3D Topographical Map of North Carolina
 
Deer in the Eno River as it flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina
 
Köppen climate types of North Carolina

North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau places North Carolina in the South Atlantic division of the southern region.[76]

North Carolina consists of three main geographic regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, occupying the eastern portion of the state; the central Piedmont region, and the mountain region in the west, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The coastal plain consists of more specifically-defined areas known as the Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow barrier islands separated from the mainland by sounds or inlets, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, the native home of the venus flytrap, and the inner coastal plain, where longleaf pine trees are native.

So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"; more than a thousand ships have sunk in these waters since records began in 1526. The most famous of these is the Queen Anne's Revenge (flagship of the pirate Blackbeard), which went aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718.[77]

The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most populous region, containing the six largest cities in the state by population.[78] It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. Small, isolated, and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Sauratown Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300 feet (91 m) in elevation in the east to about 1,500 feet (460 m) in the west.

The western section of the state is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the larger Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains and the Black Mountains.[79][80] The Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m), the highest point east of the Mississippi River.[80][81]

North Carolina has 17 major river basins. The five basins west of the Blue Ridge Mountains flow to the Gulf of Mexico, while the remainder flow to the Atlantic Ocean.[82] Of the 17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the state's border—the Cape Fear, the Neuse, the White Oak, and the Tar–Pamlico basin.[83]

Flora and fauna

Further information: Wildlife of North Carolina

Major rivers

Further information: List of rivers of North Carolina

Climate

Main article: Climate of North Carolina
See also: Climate change in North Carolina
 
Graveyard Fields in the fall

Elevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state, with the mountainous regions being coolest year-round. The climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, especially in the coastal plain. These influences tend to cause warmer winter temperatures along the coast, where temperatures only occasionally drop below the freezing point at night. The coastal plain averages around 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow or ice annually, and in many years, there may be no snow or ice at all.[84]

The Atlantic Ocean exerts less influence on the climate of the Piedmont region, which has hotter summers and colder winters than along the coast, though winters are still mild.[84]

North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter, with summer bringing threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rain, and flooding.[85] Destructive hurricanes that have hit North Carolina include Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Hugo, and Hurricane Hazel, the latter being the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the state, as a Category 4 in 1954. Hurricane Isabel ranks as the most destructive of the 21st century.[86][87]

North Carolina averages fewer than 20 tornadoes per year, many of them produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain. Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the eastern part of the state. The western Piedmont is often protected by the mountains, which tend to break up storms as they try to cross over; the storms will often re-form farther east. A phenomenon known as "cold-air damming" often occurs in the northwestern part of the state, which can weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter.[88]

In April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina's history occurred. Thirty confirmed tornadoes touched down, mainly in the Eastern Piedmont and Sandhills, killing at least 24 people.[89][90] In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian hit the area.

Monthly normal high and low temperatures (Fahrenheit) for various North Carolina cities.
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Asheville[91] 47/27 51/30 59/35 68/43 75/51 81/60 84/64 83/63 77/56 68/45 59/36 49/29
Boone[92] 42/21 45/23 52/29 61/37 69/46 76/54 79/58 78/57 72/50 63/39 54/31 45/24
Cape Hatteras[93] 52/39 54/40 59/45 66/53 74/61 81/69 85/74 84/73 80/69 72/60 64/51 56/43
Charlotte[91] 51/30 55/33 63/39 72/47 79/56 86/64 89/68 88/67 81/60 72/49 62/39 53/32
Fayetteville[94] 54/33 59/35 66/42 75/50 82/59 89/68 91/72 90/70 84/64 75/52 67/43 56/35
Greensboro[94] 48/30 53/32 61/39 70/47 78/56 85/65 88/69 86/68 80/61 70/49 61/40 51/32
Raleigh[94] 51/31 55/34 63/40 72/48 80/57 87/66 90/70 88/69 82/62 73/50 64/41 54/33
Wilmington[95] 56/36 60/38 66/44 74/52 81/60 87/69 90/73 88/71 84/66 76/55 68/45 59/38
Climate data for North Carolina
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 86
(30) 		90
(32) 		100
(38) 		102
(39) 		107
(42) 		108
(42) 		109
(43) 		110
(43) 		109
(43) 		102
(39) 		90
(32) 		87
(31) 		110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 49.9
(9.9) 		53.7
(12.1) 		61.8
(16.6) 		71.0
(21.7) 		78.1
(25.6) 		85.2
(29.6) 		88.1
(31.2) 		86.8
(30.4) 		80.8
(27.1) 		71.6
(22.0) 		62.5
(16.9) 		52.5
(11.4) 		70.2
(21.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.2
(4.0) 		42.3
(5.7) 		49.5
(9.7) 		58.1
(14.5) 		66.1
(18.9) 		74.1
(23.4) 		77.5
(25.3) 		76.3
(24.6) 		69.9
(21.1) 		59.4
(15.2) 		50.4
(10.2) 		41.7
(5.4) 		58.7
(14.8)
Average low °F (°C) 28.4
(−2.0) 		30.9
(−0.6) 		37.2
(2.9) 		45.2
(7.3) 		54.0
(12.2) 		63.0
(17.2) 		66.8
(19.3) 		65.8
(18.8) 		58.9
(14.9) 		47.2
(8.4) 		38.3
(3.5) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		47.2
(8.4)
Record low °F (°C) −34
(−37) 		−31
(−35) 		−29
(−34) 		0
(−18) 		13
(−11) 		22
(−6) 		30
(−1) 		29
(−2) 		23
(−5) 		5
(−15) 		−22
(−30) 		−33
(−36) 		−34
(−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.7
(94) 		3.5
(89) 		4.2
(110) 		3.5
(89) 		3.8
(97) 		4.3
(110) 		4.8
(120) 		4.7
(120) 		4.3
(110) 		3.3
(84) 		3.3
(84) 		3.5
(89) 		46.9
(1,196)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.0
(5.1) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.6
(1.5) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.8
(2.0) 		5
(12.7)
Source 1: "North Carolina Climate Data according USA.com". (averages)
Source 2: . Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2019. (extremes)

Parks and recreation

 
The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area

North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities, from swimming at the beach to skiing in the mountains. North Carolina offers fall colors, freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, birdwatching, agritourism, ATV trails, ballooning,rock climbing, biking, hiking, skiing, boating and sailing, camping, canoeing, caving (spelunking), gardens, and arboretums. North Carolina has theme parks, aquariums, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert halls, and fine dining.[96][97]

North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks. National Park Service units include the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie in Pender County, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston-Salem, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.

National Forests include Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina, Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest in the western mountains, and Nantahala National Forest in the southwestern part of the state.

Most populous counties

See also: List of counties in North Carolina

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual population estimate counts for North Carolina's counties. Wake County has the largest population, while Mecklenburg County has the second largest population in North Carolina.[98]

Largest combined statistical areas

North Carolina has three major Combined Statistical Areas with populations of more than 1.6 million (U.S. Census Bureau 2018 estimates):[99]

  • Charlotte Metro: Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, North Carolina–South Carolina population 2,728,933[99]
  • Research Triangle: Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill, North Carolina population 2,238,315[99]
  • Piedmont Triad: Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, North Carolina population 1,677,551[99]

Major cities

See also: List of municipalities in North Carolina

In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2018 population estimate counts for North Carolina's cities with populations above 70,000. Charlotte has the largest population in the state, while Raleigh has the highest population density of North Carolina's largest cities.[100]

 
 
Largest cities or towns in North Carolina
Source (2022 Estimate):[101]
Rank Name County Pop. Rank Name County Pop.
 
Charlotte
 
Raleigh 		1 Charlotte Mecklenburg 903,211 11 Asheville Buncombe 96,829  
Greensboro
 
Durham
2 Raleigh Wake 480,419 12 Greenville Pitt 88,115
3 Greensboro Guilford 304,909 13 Gastonia Gaston 82,145
4 Durham Durham 294,542 14 Jacksonville Onslow 73,239
5 Winston-Salem Forsyth 253,531 15 Huntersville Mecklenburg 64,296
6 Fayetteville Cumberland 210,089 16 Apex Wake 63,040
7 Cary Wake 182,619 17 Chapel Hill Orange 62,906
8 Wilmington New Hanover 117,247 18 Burlington Alamance 58,771
9 High Point Guilford 115,997 19 Kannapolis Cabarrus 55,212
10 Concord Cabarrus 110,474 20 Rocky Mount Nash 53,713

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of North Carolina
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790393,751—
1800478,10321.4%
1810556,52616.4%
1820638,82914.8%
1830737,98715.5%
1840753,4192.1%
1850869,03915.3%
1860992,62214.2%
18701,071,3617.9%
18801,399,75030.7%
18901,617,94915.6%
19001,893,81017.1%
19102,206,28716.5%
19202,559,12316.0%
19303,170,27623.9%
19403,571,62312.7%
19504,061,92913.7%
19604,556,15512.2%
19705,082,05911.5%
19805,881,76615.7%
19906,628,63712.7%
20008,049,31321.4%
20109,535,48318.5%
202010,439,3889.5%
2022 (est.)10,698,973[102]2.5%
Source: 1910–2020[103]

[104]

 
North Carolina population density map (2010)

The United States Census Bureau determined the population of North Carolina was 10,439,388 at the 2020 U.S. census.[105][106] Based on numbers in 2012 of the people residing in North Carolina 58.5% were born there; 33.1% were born in another state; 1.0% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s); and 7.4% were foreign-born.[107]

Race and ethnicity

See also: African Americans in North Carolina
Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census
Race and Ethnicity[108] Alone Total
White (non-Hispanic) 60.5% 60.5
 
 63.9% 63.9
 
African American (non-Hispanic) 20.2% 20.2
 
 21.8% 21.8
 
Hispanic or Latino[c] — 10.7% 10.7
 
Asian 3.3% 3.3
 
 4.0% 4
 
Native American 1.0% 1
 
 2.5% 2.5
 
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1
 
 0.2% 0.2
 
Other 0.4% 0.4
 
 1.1% 1.1
 
Historical racial demographics
Racial composition 1990[109] 2000[110] 2010[111]
White 75.6% 72.1% 68.5%
Black 22.0% 21.6% 21.4%
Asian 0.8% 1.4% 2.2%
Native 1.2% 1.2% 1.3%
Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander		 – 0.1% 0.1%
Other race 0.5% 2.3% 4.3%
Two or more races – 1.3% 2.3%
 
Map of counties in North Carolina by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Legend

At the 2010 U.S. census,[112] the racial composition of North Carolina was: White: 68.5% (65.3% non-Hispanic white, 3.2% White Hispanic), Black or African American: 21.5%, Latin and Hispanic American of any race: 8.4%, some other race: 4.3%, Multiracial American: 2.2%, Asian American: 2.2%, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1%. In 2020, North Carolina like much of the U.S. experienced a decline in its non-Hispanic white population; at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites were 62.2%, Blacks or African Americans 20.5%, American Indian and Alaska Natives 1.2%, Asians 3.3%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders 0.1%, people from other race 5.9%, and multiracial Americans 6.8%.[113]

Languages

Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina
Language Percentage of population
(in 2010)[114]
Spanish 6.93%
French 0.32%
German 0.27%
Chinese (including Mandarin) 0.27%
Vietnamese 0.24%
Arabic 0.17%
Korean 0.16%
Tagalog 0.13%
Hindi 0.12%
Gujarati, Russian, and Hmong (tied) 0.11%
Italian and Japanese (tied) 0.08%
Cherokee 0.01%[115]

North Carolina is home to a spectrum of different dialects of Southern American English and Appalachian English.

In 2010, 89.66% (7,750,904) of North Carolina residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 6.93% (598,756) spoke Spanish, 0.32% (27,310) French, 0.27% (23,204) German, and Chinese (which includes Mandarin) was spoken as a main language by 0.27% (23,072) of the population five and older. In total, 10.34% (893,735) of North Carolina's population age five and older spoke a mother language other than English.[114] In 2019, 87.7% of the population aged 5 and older spoke English and 12.3% spoke another language. The most common non-English language was Spanish at the 2019 American Community Survey.[116]

Religion

Religion in North Carolina (2014)[117]
Religion Percent
Evangelical Protestant
 
 35%
Unaffiliated
 
 20%
Mainline Protestant
 
 19%
Historically Black Protestant
 
 12%
Catholic
 
 9%
Mormon
 
 1%
Eastern Orthodox
 
 1%
Jehovah's Witness
 
 1%
Jewish
 
 1%
Other faith
 
 1%

North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly Protestant—first Anglican, then Baptist and Methodist. In 2010, the Southern Baptist Convention was the single largest Christian denomination, with 4,241 churches and 1,513,000 members. The second largest was the United Methodist Church, with 660,000 members and 1,923 churches. The third was the Roman Catholic Church, with 428,000 members in 190 parishes. The fourth largest was the Presbyterian Church (USA), with 186,000 members and 710 congregations; this denomination was brought by Scots-Irish immigrants who settled the backcountry in the colonial era.[118]

In 1845, the Baptists split into regional associations of the Northern United States and Southern U.S., over the issue of slavery. These new associations were the Northern Baptist Convention (today the American Baptist Churches USA) and Southern Baptist Convention. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina were Baptists. After emancipation, black Baptists quickly set up their own independent congregations in North Carolina and other states of the South, as they wanted to be free of white supervision.[119][120][121] Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations, such as the National Baptist Convention.[120] Other primarily African American Baptist conventions which grew in the state since the 20th century were the Progressive National Baptist Convention and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.

Methodists (the second largest group among North Carolinian Protestants) were divided along racial lines in the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist tradition tends to be strong in the northern Piedmont, especially in populous Guilford County. Other prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina as of the Pew Research Center's 2014 study were non/interdenominational Protestants and Pentecostalism. The Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ are the largest Pentecostal denominations operating in the state, while notable minorities include Oneness Pentecostals primarily affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International.

The state also has a special history with the Moravian Church, as settlers of this faith (largely of German origin) settled in the Winston-Salem area in the 18th and 19th centuries. historically Scots-Irish, historically Scots-Irish, have had a strong presence in Charlotte and in Scotland County.[122]

A wide variety of non-Christian faiths are practiced by other residents in the state, including: Judaism, Islam, Baháʼí, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing ethnic and religious diversity within the state. The number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state has increased, along with general religious diversity as a whole. There are also a substantial number of Quakers in Guilford County and northeastern North Carolina. Many universities and colleges in the state have been founded on religious traditions, and some currently maintain that affiliation, including:[123]

The state also has several major seminaries, including the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, and the Hood Theological Seminary (AME Zion) in Salisbury.

Economy

Main article: Economy of North Carolina
See also: North Carolina locations by per capita income

North Carolina's 2018 total gross state product was $496 billion.[124] Based on American Community Survey 2010–2014 data, North Carolina's median household income was $46,693. It ranked forty-first out of fifty states plus the District of Columbia for median household income. North Carolina had the fourteenth highest poverty rate in the nation at 17.6%, with 13% of families that were below the poverty line.[125]

The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,[126] its pleasant climate, and its wide variety of soils. The state ranks third among the South Atlantic states in population, but leads the region in industry and agriculture.[127][128] North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco.[129]

Charlotte, the state's largest city, is a major textile and trade center. According to a Forbes article written in 2013, employment in the "Old North State" has gained many different industry sectors. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries in the area surrounding North Carolina's capital have grown 17.9 percent since 2001. Raleigh ranked the third best city for technology in 2020 due to the state's growing technology sector.[130] In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion,[131] while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totalled $2.4 billion,[132] while according to another, was in 2012 $57.8 billion.[133] In 2011, the civilian labor force was at around 4.5 million with employment near 4.1 million.

North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes, and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs, trout, and turkeys.[134][135] In the three most recent USDA surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees.[134][136][137]

North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,[138] and in 2010 was chosen as the third-best state for business by Forbes Magazine, and the second-best state by chief executive officer Magazine.[139] Since 2000, there has been a clear division in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas. While North Carolina's urban areas have enjoyed a prosperous economy with steady job growth, low unemployment, and rising wages, many of the state's rural counties have suffered from job loss, rising levels of poverty, and population loss as their manufacturing base has declined. According to one estimate, one-half of North Carolina's 100 counties have lost population since 2010, primarily due to the poor economy in many of North Carolina's rural areas. However, the population of the state's urban areas is steadily increasing.[140]

Arts and culture

Main articles: Culture of North Carolina and List of museums in North Carolina

North Carolina has traditions in art, music, and cuisine. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.2 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting more than 43,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $119 million in revenue for local governments and the state of North Carolina.[141] North Carolina established the North Carolina Museum of Art as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding[142] and continues to bring millions into the NC economy.[143]

One of the more famous arts communities in the state is Seagrove, the handmade-pottery capital of the U.S., where artisans create handcrafted pottery inspired by the same traditions that began in this community more than two hundred years ago.

TV and Film

Further information: Category:Films shot in North Carolina; Category:Television shows filmed in North Carolina; and Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina

Music

Main articles: Music of North Carolina and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

North Carolina boasts a large number of noteworthy jazz musicians, some among the most important in the history of the genre. These include: John Coltrane, (Hamlet, High Point); Thelonious Monk (Rocky Mount); Billy Taylor (Greenville); Woody Shaw (Laurinburg); Lou Donaldson (Durham); Max Roach (Newland); Tal Farlow (Greensboro); Albert, Jimmy and Percy Heath (Wilmington); Nina Simone (Tryon); and Billy Strayhorn (Hillsborough).

 
Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, 1937

North Carolina is also famous for its tradition of old-time music, and many recordings were made in the early 20th century by folk-song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Musicians such as the North Carolina Ramblers helped solidify the sound of country music in the late 1920s, while the influential bluegrass musician Doc Watson also hailed from North Carolina. Both North and South Carolina are hotbeds for traditional rural blues, especially the style known as the Piedmont blues.

Ben Folds Five originated in Winston-Salem, and Ben Folds still records and resides in Chapel Hill.

The British band Pink Floyd is named, in part, after Chapel Hill bluesman Floyd Council.

The Research Triangle area has long been a well-known center for folk, rock, metal, jazz and punk.[144] James Taylor grew up around Chapel Hill, and his 1968 song "Carolina in My Mind" has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.[145][146][147] Other famous musicians from North Carolina include J. Cole, DaBaby, 9th Wonder, Shirley Caesar, Roberta Flack, Clyde McPhatter, Nnenna Freelon, Link Wray, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Michael Houser, Eric Church, Future Islands, Randy Travis, Ryan Adams, Ronnie Milsap, Anthony Hamilton, The Avett Brothers, Charlie Daniels, and Luke Combs.

Metal and punk acts such as Corrosion of Conformity, Between the Buried and Me, and Nightmare Sonata are native to North Carolina.

EDM producer Porter Robinson hails from Chapel Hill.

North Carolina is the home of more American Idol finalists than any other state: Clay Aiken (season two), Fantasia Barrino (season three), Chris Daughtry (season five), Kellie Pickler (season five), Bucky Covington (season five), Anoop Desai (season eight), Scotty McCreery (season ten), and Caleb Johnson (season thirteen). North Carolina also has the most American Idol winners with Barrino, McCreery, and Johnson.

In the mountains, the Brevard Music Center hosts choral, operatic, orchestral, and solo performances during its annual summer schedule.

North Carolina has five professional opera companies: Opera Carolina in Charlotte, NC Opera in Raleigh, Greensboro Opera in Greensboro, Piedmont Opera in Winston-Salem, and Asheville Lyric Opera in Asheville. Academic conservatories and universities also produce fully staged operas, such as the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, the Department of Music of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and UNC Greensboro.

Among others, there are three high-level symphonic orchestras: NC Symphony in Raleigh, Charlotte Symphony, and Winston-Salem Symphony. The NC Symphony holds the North Carolina Master Chorale. The Carolina Ballet is headquartered in Raleigh, and there is also the Charlotte Ballet.

The state boasts three performing arts centers: DPAC in Durham, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, and the Blumenthal Performing Art Centers in Charlotte. They feature concerts, operas, recitals, and traveling Broadway musicals.[148][149][150]

Shopping

North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is the largest and most upscale mall in the Carolinas, featuring multiple luxury tenants with their sole location in the state. Other major malls in Charlotte include Northlake Mall and Carolina Place Mall in nearby suburb Pineville. Other major malls throughout the state include Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The Thruway Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Crabtree Valley Mall, North Hills Mall, and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh; Friendly Center and Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro; Oak Hollow Mall in High Point; Concord Mills in Concord; Valley Hills Mall in Hickory; Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville; and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham and Independence Mall in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Tanger Outlets in Charlotte, Nags Head, Blowing Rock, and Mebane, North Carolina.

Cuisine and agriculture

A culinary staple of North Carolina is pork barbecue. There are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and methods used in making the barbecue. The common trend across Western North Carolina is the use of premium grade Boston butt. Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a tomato-based sauce, and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. Western North Carolina barbecue is commonly referred to as Lexington barbecue after the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington, home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each October.[151][152] Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-and-red-pepper-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked, thus integrating both white and dark meat.[153]

Krispy Kreme, an international chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Pepsi-Cola was first produced in 1898 in New Bern. A regional soft drink, Cheerwine, was created and is still based in the city of Salisbury. Despite its name, the hot sauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are also in Winston-Salem. The Hardee's fast-food chain was started in Rocky Mount. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started in Charlotte, and has its corporate headquarters there. A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral. Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville, with headquarters located in Raleigh. Popular pickle brand Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive in 1926. Fast casual burger chain Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries also makes its home in Mount Olive. Cook Out, a popular fast-food chain featuring burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes in a wide variety of flavors, was founded in Greensboro in 1989 and has begun expanding outside of North Carolina. In 2013, Southern Living named Durham–Chapel Hill the South's "Tastiest City".

Over the last decade, North Carolina has become a cultural epicenter and haven for internationally prize-winning wine (Noni Bacca Winery), internationally prized cheeses (Ashe County), "L'institut International aux Arts Gastronomiques: Conquerront Les Yanks les Truffes, January 15, 2010" international hub for truffles (Garland Truffles), and beer making, as tobacco land has been converted to grape orchards while state laws regulating alcohol by volume (ABV) in beer allowed a jump from six to fifteen percent. The Yadkin Valley in particular has become a strengthening market for grape production, while Asheville recently won the recognition of being named "Beer City USA". Asheville boasts the largest number of breweries per capita of any city in the United States. Recognized and marketed brands of beer in North Carolina include Highland Brewing, Duck Rabbit Brewery, Mother Earth Brewery, Weeping Radish Brewery, Big Boss Brewing, Foothills Brewing, Carolina Brewing Company, Lonerider Brewing, and White Rabbit Brewing Company.

North Carolina has large grazing areas for beef and dairy cattle. Truck farms can be found in North Carolina. A truck farm is a small farm where fruits and vegetables are grown to be sold at local markets. The state's shipping, commercial fishing, and lumber industries are important to its economy. Service industries, including education, health care, private research, and retail trade, are also important. Research Triangle Park, a large industrial complex located in the Raleigh-Durham area, is one of the major centers in the country for electronics and medical research.[154]

Tobacco was one of the first major industries to develop after the Civil War. Many farmers grew some tobacco, and the invention of the cigarette made the product especially popular. Winston-Salem is the birthplace of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR), founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1874 as one of sixteen tobacco companies in the town. By 1914 it was selling 425 million packs of Camels a year. Today it is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. (behind Altria Group). RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc., which in turn is 42% owned by British American Tobacco.[155]

Ships named for the state

Further information: USS North Carolina
 
USS North Carolina on permanent display in Wilmington

Several ships have been named after the state, most famously USS North Carolina in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Now decommissioned, she is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, was commissioned in Wilmington on May 3, 2008.[156]

State parks

Main article: List of North Carolina state parks

The state maintains a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System, which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation (NCDPR), an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR).[157]

Armed forces installations

 
Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training on Fort Bragg, March 2011

Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville and Southern Pines, is a large and comprehensive military base and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Serving as the air wing for Fort Bragg is Pope Field, also located near Fayetteville.

Located in Jacksonville, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, combined with nearby bases Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay, makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world. MCAS Cherry Point is home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Located in Goldsboro, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home of the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing. One of the busiest air stations in the United States Coast Guard is located at the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City. Also stationed in North Carolina is the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Southport.

On January 24, 1961, a B-52G broke up in midair and crashed after suffering a severe fuel loss, near Goldsboro, dropping two nuclear bombs in the process without detonation.[158] In 2013, it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed, leaving just one low-voltage switch preventing detonation.[159]

Tourism

 
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located in North Carolina's Outer Banks

Charlotte is the most-visited city in the state, attracting 28.3 million visitors in 2018.[160] Area attractions include Carolina Panthers NFL football team and Charlotte Hornets basketball team, Carowinds amusement park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Discovery Place, Great Wolf Lodge, Sea Life Aquarium,[161] Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Billy Graham Library, Carolinas Aviation Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Mint Museum, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Every year the Appalachian Mountains attract several million tourists to the western part of the state,[162] including the historic Biltmore Estate. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the two most visited national park and unit in the United States with more than 25 million visitors in 2013.[163] The City of Asheville is consistently voted as one of the top places to visit and live in the United States, known for its rich art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities.[164][165]

In Raleigh, many tourists visit the capital, African American Cultural Complex,[166] Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NCSU, Haywood Hall House & Gardens, Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, Raleigh City Museum, J. C. Raulston Arboretum, Joel Lane House, Mordecai House, Montfort Hall, and the Pope House Museum. The Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team is also located in the city.

In the Conover–Hickory area, attractions include Hickory Motor Speedway, RockBarn Golf and Spa,[167] home of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn; Catawba County Firefighters Museum,[168] the SALT Block,[169] and Valley Hills Mall.

The Piedmont Triad, or center of the state, is home to Krispy Kreme, Mayberry, Texas Pete, the Lexington Barbecue Festival, and Moravian cookies. The internationally acclaimed North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro attracts visitors to its animals, plants, and a 57-piece art collection along five miles (8 km) of shaded pathways in the world's largest-land-area natural-habitat park. Seagrove, in the central portion of the state, attracts many tourists along Pottery Highway (NC Hwy 705). MerleFest in Wilkesboro attracts more than 80,000 people to its four-day music festival; and Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe water park in Greensboro is another attraction.[170]

The Outer Banks and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year.[171]

The mainland northeastern part of the state, having recently adopted the name the Inner Banks, is also known as the Albemarle Region, for the Albemarle Settlements, some of the first settlements on North Carolina's portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The region’s historic sites are connected by the Historic Albemarle Tour.

Education

Primary and secondary education

See also: List of school districts in North Carolina and List of high schools in North Carolina
 
A lesson at New Kituwah Academy on the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina. This bilingual language immersion school, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, teaches the same curriculum as other state elementary schools

Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education, but the board, rather than the superintendent, holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy. In 2009, the board's chairman also became the "chief executive officer" for the state's school system.[172] North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board.[173][174] A county may have one or more systems within it. The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Wake County Public School System, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Cumberland County Schools.[175] In total there are 2,425 public schools in the state, including over 200 charter schools.[176] North Carolina Schools were segregated until the Brown v. Board of Education trial and the release of the Pearsall Plan.

Previously the SAT was the dominant university entrance examination students took. In 2004 76% of NC high school students took the SAT. In 2012 state law changed which required 11th grade students to take the ACT. The SAT testing rate fell to 46% in 2019. Because students now can take that test for free, the ACT became the dominant university entrance examination. This also caused SAT average scores to rise, as in 1996 North Carolina was 48th nationally in SAT scores, but the profile of students taking the SAT has gotten smaller.[177]

Colleges and universities

Further information: List of colleges and universities in North Carolina and List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment

In 1795, North Carolina opened the first public university in the United States—the University of North Carolina (now named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).[178] More than 200 years later, the University of North Carolina system encompasses 16 public universities including North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Elizabeth City State University, Appalachian State University, Fayetteville State University, and UNC School of the Arts, and 1 public, boarding high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.[179] Along with its public universities, North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community college system. The largest university in North Carolina is currently North Carolina State University, with more than 34,000 students.[180]

 
Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill
 
Duke Chapel at Duke University
 
Memorial Bell Tower at NC State
 
Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University
 
The Joyner Library clock tower at East Carolina University
 
The New Quad at UNC Charlotte

North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including Duke University,[181] Wake Forest University,[182] Pfeiffer University, Lees-McRae College, Davidson College, Barton College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Elon University, Guilford College, Livingstone College, Salem College, Shaw University (the first historically black college or university in the South), Laurel University, William Peace University, Meredith College, Methodist University, Belmont Abbey College (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), Campbell University, University of Mount Olive, Montreat College, High Point University, Lenoir-Rhyne University (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina) and Wingate University.

Health

The residents of North Carolina have a lower life expectancy than the U.S. national average of life expectancy. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2014, males in North Carolina lived an average of 75.4 years compared to the national average of 76.7 years. Females in North Carolina lived an average of 80.2 years compared to the national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by an average of 6.9 years, slightly higher than the male national average of a 6.7 year increase. Life expectancy for females in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by 3.2 years, lower that the female national average of a 3.9 year increase.[183]

Using 2017–2019 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for North Carolina counties ranged from 71.4 years for Swain County to 82.3 years for Orange County. Life expectancy for the state was 78.1 years.[184] The Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 79.2 years.[185]

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in North Carolina
Further information: Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina
 
A North Carolina license plate

Transportation systems in North Carolina consist of air, water, road, rail, and public transportation including intercity rail via Amtrak and light rail in Charlotte. North Carolina has the second-largest state highway system in the country as well as the largest ferry system on the east coast.[186]

North Carolina's airports serve destinations throughout the United States and international destinations in Canada, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. In July 2022, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which serves as the second busiest hub for American Airlines, ranked as the 11th busiest airport in the United States with Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a focus-city for Delta Air Lines and formerly a hub for American Airlines and Midway Airlines, ranked as the 37th busiest airport in the United States.[187]

North Carolina has a growing passenger rail system with Amtrak serving most major cities. Charlotte is also home to North Carolina's only light rail system known as the Lynx.[188]

Interstates

Main article: Interstate Highways in North Carolina

Primary

Auxiliary (three-digit)

Business Routes

US highways

Further information: List of U.S. Highways in North Carolina

State routes

Further information: List of state highways in North Carolina

Secondary roads

Further information: North Carolina Highway System § Secondary roads

Media

See also: Category:Mass media in North Carolina, List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of defunct newspapers of North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina

Early newspapers were established in the eastern part of North Carolina in the mid-18th century. The Fayetteville Observer, established in 1816, is the oldest newspaper still in publication in North Carolina. The Wilmington Star-News, established 1867, is the oldest continuously running newspaper. As of January 1, 2020, there were approximately 240 North Carolina newspapers in publication in the state of North Carolina.[189]

The News and Observer was founded in 1871 and is the largest in circulation in the state. In 2006, The Charlotte Observer was acquired by the company, it is the second largest circulating news paper in the state.[190]

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of North Carolina, Politics of North Carolina, and Political party strength in North Carolina
North Carolina registered voters as of October 22, 2022[191]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
Unaffiliated 2,634,894 35.59%
Democratic 2,496,441 33.72%
Republican 2,221,647 30.01%
Libertarian 50,148 0.68%
Green 218 0.00%
Total 7,403,348 100%

The government of North Carolina is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. These consist of the Council of State (led by the Governor), the bicameral legislature (called the General Assembly), and the state court system (headed by the North Carolina Supreme Court). The state constitution delineates the structure and function of the state government. Most municipalities in North Carolina operate under council-manager governments.[192]

North Carolina's party loyalties have undergone a series of important shifts in the last few years: While the 2010 midterms saw Tarheel voters elect a bicameral Republican majority legislature for the first time in more than a century, North Carolina has also become a Southern swing state in presidential races. Since Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter's comfortable victory in the state in 1976, the state had consistently leaned Republican in presidential elections until Democrat Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2008. In the 1990s, Democrat Bill Clinton came within a point of winning the state in 1992 and also only narrowly lost the state in 1996. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush easily won the state by more than 13 points.

By 2008, demographic shifts, population growth, and increased liberalization in densely populated areas such as the Research Triangle, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, and Asheville, propelled Barack Obama to victory in North Carolina, the first Democrat to win the state since 1976. In 2012, North Carolina was again considered a competitive swing state, with the Democrats even holding their 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. However, Republican Mitt Romney ultimately eked out a two-point win in North Carolina, the only 2012 swing state Obama lost, and one of only two states (along with Indiana) to flip from Obama in 2008 to the GOP in 2012. Furthermore, Republican Donald Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2020.

In 2012, the state elected a Republican governor (Pat McCrory) and lieutenant governor (Dan Forest) for the first time in more than two decades, while also giving the Republicans veto-proof majorities in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. Several U.S. House of Representatives seats flipped control in 2012, with the Republicans holding nine seats to the Democrats' four. In the 2014 mid-term elections, Republican David Rouzer won the state's seventh congressional district seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP.

North Carolina Republicans won 10 of the 13 seats in 2016, when Democrats got 47 percent of the statewide vote. In 2018 Republicans took nine, with one seat undecided, even though Democrats got 48 percent of the overall vote.

As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina will gain another seat in the 118th United States Congress, for a total of 14.[193]

In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.[194]

Gerrymandering

See also: Gerrymandering in the United States

The state has been sued for racially gerrymandering the districts, which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas, resulting in skewed representation. In 2000, the District Court ruled that the 12th District was an illegal racial gerrymander.[195] This was again appealed, now as Easley v. Cromartie. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the District Court in 2001 and ruled that the 12th district boundaries were not racially based but was a partisan gerrymander. They said this was a political question that the courts should not rule upon.[196]

In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting.[197] Two suits challenging the state congressional district map were led by "two dozen voters, the state Democratic Party, the state chapter of the League of Women Voters, and the interest group Common Cause".[197] They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under-representation of a substantial portion of voters. This case reached the United States Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.[197]

Sports

Main article: Sports in North Carolina

North Carolina is home to four major league sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association, and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer are based in Charlotte, while the Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes play in the National Hockey League. The Panthers and Hurricanes are the only two major professional sports teams that have the same geographical designation while playing in different metropolitan areas. The Hurricanes are the only major professional team from North Carolina to have won a league championship, having captured the Stanley Cup in 2006. North Carolina is also home to two other top-level professional teams in less prominent sports—the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League.

While North Carolina has no Major League Baseball team, it does have numerous Minor League Baseball teams, with the highest level of play coming from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls. Additionally, North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports including soccer and ice hockey, most notably North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Checkers, both of which play in the second tier of their respective sports.

In addition to professional team sports, North Carolina has a strong affiliation with NASCAR and stock-car racing, with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord hosting two Cup Series races every year. Charlotte also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame, while Concord is the home of several top-flight racing teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Petty GMS Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Chip Ganassi Racing. Numerous other tracks around North Carolina host races from low-tier NASCAR circuits as well.

Golf is a popular summertime leisure activity, and North Carolina has hosted several important professional golf tournaments. Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst has hosted a PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, two U.S. Opens, and one U.S. Women's Open. The Wells Fargo Championship is a regular stop on the PGA Tour and is held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, and Quail Hollow has also played host to the PGA Championship. The Wyndham Championship is played annually in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club.

College sports are also popular in North Carolina, with 18 schools competing at the Division I level. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is headquartered in Greensboro, and both the ACC Football Championship Game (Charlotte) and the ACC men's basketball tournament (Greensboro) were most recently held in North Carolina. Additionally, the city of Charlotte is home to the National Junior College Athletics Association's (NJCAA) headquarters.[198] College basketball is very popular in North Carolina, buoyed by the Tobacco Road rivalries between ACC members North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. The ACC Championship Game and the Duke's Mayo Bowl are held annually in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, featuring teams from the ACC and the Southeastern Conference. Additionally, the state has hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four on two occasions, in Greensboro in 1974 and in Charlotte in 1994.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b In 1893 the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words "Esse Quam Videri" as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state's Coat of Arms and the date "20 May 1775" upon the great seal.
  2. ^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  3. ^ Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.

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January 02, 2023
north, carolina, this, article, about, state, former, british, colony, province, other, uses, disambiguation, north, state, redirects, here, song, north, state, song, listen, state, southeastern, region, united, states, state, 28th, largest, most, populous, un. This article is about the U S state For the former British colony see Province of North Carolina For other uses see North Carolina disambiguation The Old North State redirects here For the song see The Old North State song North Carolina ˌ k aer e ˈ l aɪ n e listen is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States The state is the 28th largest and 9th most populous of the United States It is bordered by Virginia to the north the Atlantic Ocean to the east Georgia and South Carolina to the south and Tennessee to the west In the 2020 census the state had a population of 10 439 388 7 Raleigh is the state s capital and Charlotte is its largest city The Charlotte metropolitan area with a population of 2 595 027 in 2020 8 is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina the 21st most populous in the United States and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City 9 The Raleigh Durham Cary combined statistical area is the second largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd most populous in the United States with a population of 2 043 867 in 2020 10 and is home to the largest research park in the United States Research Triangle Park North CarolinaStateFlagSealNickname s Tarheel State Old North StateMotto s Esse quam videri a To be rather than to seem Anthem The Old North State 1 Map of the United States with North Carolina highlightedCountryUnited StatesBefore statehoodProvince of North CarolinaAdmitted to the UnionNovember 21 1789 12th CapitalRaleighLargest cityCharlotteLargest metro and urban areasCharlotteGovernment GovernorRoy Cooper D Lieutenant GovernorMark Robinson R LegislatureGeneral Assembly Upper houseSenate Lower houseHouse of RepresentativesJudiciaryNorth Carolina Supreme CourtU S senatorsRichard Burr R Thom Tillis R U S House delegation8 Republicans 5 Democrats list Area Total53 819 sq mi 139 390 km2 Land48 711 sq mi 126 161 km2 Water1 972 sq mi 5 108 km2 9 5 Rank28thDimensions Length500 2 mi 804 km Width184 mi 296 km Elevation700 ft 210 m Highest elevation Mount Mitchell 3 b 6 684 ft 2 037 m Lowest elevation Atlantic Ocean 3 0 ft 0 m Population 2022 Total10 698 973 Rank9th Density219 64 sq mi 84 80 km2 Rank15th Median household income 52 752 4 Income rank39thDemonym s North Carolinian official Tarheel colloquial Language Official languageEnglish 5 Spoken languageAs of 2010 6 English 90 70 Spanish 6 93 Other 2 73 Time zoneUTC 05 00 Eastern Summer DST UTC 04 00 EDT USPS abbreviationNCISO 3166 codeUS NCTraditional abbreviationN C Latitude33 50 N to 36 35 NLongitude75 28 W to 84 19 WWebsitewww wbr nc wbr govNorth Carolina state symbolsFlag of North CarolinaLiving insigniaBirdCardinalButterflyEastern tiger swallowtailFishRed drumFlowerFlowering dogwoodInsectWestern honey beeMammalEastern gray squirrelMarsupialVirginia opossumReptileEastern box turtleTreePineInanimate insigniaBeverageMilkColorsRed and blueDanceShagFoodScuppernong grape and sweet potatoFossilMegalodon teethGemstoneEmeraldMineralGoldMottoEsse quam videri To be rather than to seem a RockGraniteShellScotch bonnetSloganFirst in Flight First in Freedom unofficial Song The Old North State State route markerState quarterReleased in 2001Lists of United States state symbolsThe earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10 000 years found at the Hardaway Site North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian Iroquoian and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies North Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England who first formed the English colony Carolus code lat promoted to code la being Latin for Charles In 1755 colonial North Carolina received its first postmaster James Davis appointed by Benjamin Franklin 11 The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12 1776 was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution 12 On November 21 1789 North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution In the run up to the American Civil War North Carolina declared its secession from the Union on May 20 1861 becoming the tenth of eleven states to join the Confederate States of America Following the Civil War the state was restored to the Union on July 4 1868 13 On December 17 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully piloted the world s first controlled sustained flight of a powered heavier than air aircraft at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina s Outer Banks North Carolina often uses the slogan First in Flight on state license plates to commemorate this achievement alongside a newer alternative design bearing the slogan First in Freedom in reference to the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves North Carolina is defined by a wide range of elevations and landscapes From west to east North Carolina s elevation descends from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain North Carolina s Mount Mitchell at 6 684 ft 2 000 m is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River 14 Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone however the western mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate 15 Contents 1 History 1 1 Native Americans lost colony and permanent settlement 1 2 Anglo European settlement 1 3 Colonial period 1 4 Revolutionary War 1 5 Antebellum period 1 6 American Civil War 1 7 Reconstruction era through late 19th century 1 8 Early through mid 20th century 1 9 Late 20th century to present 2 Geography 2 1 Flora and fauna 2 2 Major rivers 2 3 Climate 2 4 Parks and recreation 2 5 Most populous counties 2 6 Largest combined statistical areas 2 7 Major cities 3 Demographics 3 1 Race and ethnicity 3 2 Languages 3 3 Religion 4 Economy 5 Arts and culture 5 1 TV and Film 5 2 Music 5 3 Shopping 5 4 Cuisine and agriculture 5 5 Ships named for the state 5 6 State parks 5 7 Armed forces installations 6 Tourism 7 Education 7 1 Primary and secondary education 7 2 Colleges and universities 8 Health 9 Transportation 9 1 Interstates 9 1 1 Primary 9 1 2 Auxiliary three digit 9 1 3 Business Routes 9 2 US highways 9 3 State routes 9 4 Secondary roads 10 Media 11 Government and politics 11 1 Gerrymandering 12 Sports 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References 15 1 Bibliography 15 2 Further reading 16 External links 16 1 General 16 2 Government and education 16 3 OtherHistory EditMain article History of North Carolina Native Americans lost colony and permanent settlement Edit See also Native Americans in the United States Joara Roanoke Island and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Ceremony of Secotan warriors in North Carolina Watercolour painted by English colonist John White in 1585 North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10 000 years by succeeding prehistoric indigenous cultures The Hardaway Site saw major periods of occupation dating to 10 000 years BCE Before 200 AD the people were building earthwork platform mounds which were used for ceremonial and religious purposes Succeeding peoples including those of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture established by 1000 AD in the Piedmont and mountain region continued to build this style of mounds In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture as noted below in what became known as the western Carolinas northeastern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound The smaller settlements had none but developed close to the more prominent towns This area became known as the homelands of the historic Cherokee people who are believed to have migrated over time from the Great Lakes area In the 500 700 years preceding European contact the Mississippian culture built large complex cities and maintained far flung regional trading networks Its largest city was Cahokia which had numerous mounds for different purposes a highly stratified society and was located in present day southwestern Illinois near the Mississippi River The Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups such as the Catawba due to a series of destabilizing events known as the Mississippian shatter zone As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge the Mississippian shatter zone was an area of great instability in what is now the American South caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms high mortality from new Eurasian diseases construction of a global capitalistic economy based on trading of Native American slaves and the emergence of Native militaristic slaving societies 16 Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the Carolina Algonquian speaking tribes of the coastal areas such as the Chowanoke Roanoke Pamlico Machapunga Coree and Cape Fear Indians who were the first encountered by the English the Iroquoian speaking Meherrin Cherokee and Tuscarora of the interior and Southeastern Siouan tribes such as the Cheraw Waxhaw Saponi Waccamaw and Catawba of the Piedmont In the late 16th century the first Spanish explorers traveling inland recorded meeting Mississippian culture people at Joara a regional chiefdom near what later developed as Morganton Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540 In 1567 Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico Pardo made a winter base at Joara which he renamed Cuenca His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there while Pardo traveled further His forces built and garrisoned five other forts He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island South Carolina then a center of Spanish Florida In the spring of 1568 natives killed all but one of the Spaniards and burned the six forts in the interior including the one at Fort San Juan Although the Spanish never returned to the interior this effort marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States A 16th century journal by Pardo s scribe Bandera and archaeological findings since 1986 at Joara have confirmed the settlement 17 18 Anglo European settlement Edit Sir Walter Raleigh namesake of the state capitol of North Carolina Raleigh In 1584 Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh for whom the state capital is named for land in present day North Carolina then part of the territory of Virginia 19 It was the second American territory which the English attempted to colonize Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s but both failed The fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history Virginia Dare the first English person to be born in North America was born on Roanoke Island on August 18 1587 Dare County is named for her As early as 1650 settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the area of Albemarle Sound By 1663 King Charles II of England granted a charter to start a new colony on the North American continent this would generally establish North Carolina s borders He named it Carolina in honor of his father Charles I 20 By 1665 a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions In 1712 owing to disputes over governance the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina North Carolina would become a crown colony in 1729 21 Most of the English colonists had arrived as indentured servants hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from unions or marriages between free white women and enslaved or free African or African American men Because the mothers were free their children were born free Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia 22 As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain planters imported more slaves and the state s legal delineations between free and slave status tightened effectively hardening the latter into a racial caste The economy s growth and prosperity was based on slave labor devoted primarily to the production of tobacco In 1738 1739 smallpox would cause high fatalities among the Native Americans who had no immunity to the new disease it had become endemic over centuries in Europe 23 According to the historian Russell Thornton The 1738 epidemic was said to have killed one half of the Cherokee with other tribes of the area suffering equally 24 Colonial period Edit Main articles Province of Carolina Province of North Carolina French and Indian War Treaty of Paris 1763 American Revolutionary War United States Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation Ratification John White returns to find the colony abandoned Map of the coast of Virginia and North Carolina drawn 1585 1586 by Theodor de Bry based on map by John White of the Roanoke Colony Reconstructed royal governor s mansion Tryon Palace in New BernAfter the Spanish in the 16th century the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from Virginia The latter had grown rapidly and land was less available Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655 25 By 1663 this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina known as the Albemarle Settlements was undergoing full scale English settlement 26 During the same period the English monarch Charles II gave the province to the Lords Proprietors a group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660 The new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father Charles I Latin Carolus A large revolt happened in the state in 1711 known as Cary s Rebellion In 1712 North Carolina became a separate colony Except for the Earl Granville holdings it became a royal colony seventeen years later 27 In June 1718 the pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship the Queen Anne s Revenge aground at Beaufort Inlet North Carolina in present day Carteret County After the grounding her crew and supplies were transferred to smaller ships In November 1718 after appealing to the governor of North Carolina who promised safe haven and a pardon Blackbeard was killed in an ambush by troops from Virginia 28 In 1996 Intersal Inc a private firm discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne s Revenge which was added to the U S National Register of Historic Places 29 North Carolina became one of the Thirteen Colonies and with the territory of South Carolina was originally known as the Province of North Carolina The northern and southern parts of the original province separated in 1712 with North Carolina becoming a royal colony in 1729 Originally settled by small farmers sometimes having a few slaves who were oriented toward subsistence agriculture the colony lacked large cities or towns Pirates menaced the coastal settlements but by 1718 the pirates had been captured and killed Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century as the economy attracted Scots Irish Quaker English and German immigrants A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the American Revolution although there were some Loyalists Loyalists in North Carolina were smaller in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia South Carolina Delaware and New York 30 31 32 During colonial times Edenton served as the state capital beginning in 1722 followed by New Bern becoming the capital in 1766 Construction of Tryon Palace which served as the residence and offices of the provincial governor William Tryon began in 1767 and was completed in 1771 In 1788 Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital as its central location protected it from coastal attacks Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital the city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh sponsor of Roanoke the lost colony on Roanoke Island 33 The population of the colony more than quadrupled from 52 000 in 1740 to 270 000 in 1780 from high immigration from Virginia Maryland and Pennsylvania plus immigrants from abroad 34 North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749 when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg Virginia to act as their official printer Before this time the laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were largely kept in a disorganized manner prompting them to hire Davis Davis settled in New Bern became married and in 1755 was appointed by Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina s first postmaster In October of that year the North Carolina Assembly awarded Davis the contract to carry the mail between Wilmington North Carolina and Suffolk Virginia He was also active in North Carolina s politics as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff Davis also founded and printed the North Carolina Gazette North Carolina s first newspaper printed in his printing house in New Bern 11 35 Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina or the Atlantic coastal plain and uplands affected the political economic and social life of the state from the 18th until the 20th century Eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands The Piedmont upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots Irish English and German Protestants the so called cohee Arriving during the mid to late 18th century the Scots Irish people of Scottish descent who migrated to and then emigrated from what is today Northern Ireland were the largest non English immigrant group before the Revolution English indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group before the Revolution 36 37 38 39 Revolutionary War Edit Halifax Resolves plaque During the American Revolutionary War the English and Gaelic speaking Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain The English Welsh Scots Irish and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain On April 12 1776 the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British Crown through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress The date of this event is memorialized on the state flag and state seal Throughout the Revolutionary War fierce guerrilla warfare erupted between bands of pro independence and pro British colonists In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries 40 41 North Carolina had around 7 800 Patriots join the Continental Army under General George Washington and an additional 10 000 served in local militia units under such leaders as General Nathanael Greene 42 There was some military action especially in 1780 81 Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains into the Washington District later known as Tennessee but in 1789 following the Revolution the state was persuaded to relinquish its claim to the western lands It ceded them to the national government so the Northwest Territory could be organized and managed nationally 43 A major American victory in the war took place at King s Mountain along the North Carolina South Carolina border on October 7 1780 a force of 1 000 Patriots from western North Carolina including what is today the state of Tennessee and southwest Virginia overwhelmed a force of some 1 000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson Most of the soldiers fighting for the British side in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the Crown they were called Tories or Loyalists The American victory at King s Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories 44 1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the Battle of Guilford Court House 1781 The road to Yorktown and America s independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden South Carolina the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them Following General Daniel Morgan s victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17 1781 southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina and away from the latter s base of supply in Charleston South Carolina This campaign is known as The Race to the Dan or The Race for the River 27 In the Battle of Cowan s Ford Cornwallis met resistance along the banks of the Catawba River at Cowan s Ford on February 1 1781 in an attempt to engage General Morgan s forces during a tactical withdrawal 45 Morgan had moved to the northern part of the state to combine with General Greene s newly recruited forces Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present day Greensboro on March 15 1781 Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Continental Army were crippling Following this Pyrrhic victory Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army This decision would result in Cornwallis eventual defeat at Yorktown Virginia later in 1781 The Patriots victory there guaranteed American independence On November 21 1789 North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the U S constitution Antebellum period Edit Main articles Constitutional Convention United States Admission to the Union and List of U S states by date of admission to the UnionAfter 1800 cotton and tobacco became important export crops The eastern half of the state especially the Coastal Plain region developed a slave society based on a plantation system and slave labor Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio economic power in antebellum North Carolina They placed their interests above those of the generally non slave holding yeoman farmers of North Carolina While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to some other Southern states according to the 1860 census more than 330 000 people or 33 of the population out of 992 622 people in total were enslaved African Americans 46 They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state In addition 30 463 free people of color lived in the state 46 They were also mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal plain especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern where a variety of jobs were available Most were descendants from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the 18th century The majority were the descendants of unions in the working classes between white women indentured servants or free and African men indentured slave or free 47 Map of the roads and railroads of North Carolina 1854 After the American Revolution Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves Some were inspired by their efforts and the language of the Revolution to arrange for manumission of their slaves The number of free people of color rose markedly in the first couple of decades after the Revolution 48 Many free people of color migrated to the frontier along with their European American neighbors where the social system was looser By 1810 nearly three percent of the free population consisted of free people of color who numbered slightly more than 10 000 The western areas of North Carolina were mainly white families of European descent especially Scotch Irish who operated small subsistence farms In the early national period the state became a center of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy with a strong Whig presence especially in the western part of the state After Nat Turner s slave uprising in 1831 North Carolina and other southern states reduced the rights of free blacks In 1835 the legislature withdrew their right to vote In mid century the state s rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129 mi 208 km wooden plank road known as a farmer s railroad from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania northwest of Winston Salem 27 On October 25 1836 construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad 49 to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh In 1840 the state capitol building in Raleigh was completed and still stands today In 1849 the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro High Point and Charlotte During the Civil War the Wilmington to Raleigh stretch of the railroad would be vital to the Confederate war effort supplies shipped into Wilmington would be moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond Virginia 50 American Civil War Edit Main articles Ordinance of Secession Confederate States of America and North Carolina in the American Civil War Further information American Civil War Union troops capture Fort Fisher 1865 In 1860 North Carolina was a slave state in which one third of the state s total population were African American slaves The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister state 51 South Carolina becoming the last or penultimate state to officially join the Confederacy The title of last to join the Confederacy has been disputed although Tennessee s informal secession on May 7 1861 preceded North Carolina s official secession on May 20 52 53 the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8 1861 54 Around 125 000 troops from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army and about 15 000 North Carolina troops both black and white served in Union Army regiments including those who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere 55 Over 30 000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war 56 Elected in 1862 Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in Richmond and the state was the scene of only small battles In 1865 Durham County saw the largest single surrender of Confederate soldiers at Bennett Place when Joseph E Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee and all remaining Confederate forces still active in North Carolina South Carolina Georgia and Florida totalling 89 270 soldiers 57 After secession some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy Some of the yeoman farmers chiefly in the state s mountains and western Piedmont region remained neutral during the Civil War with others covertly supporting the Union cause during the conflict 58 Approximately 15 000 North Carolinians both black and white from across the state would enlist in the Union Army Numerous slaves would also escape to Union lines where they became essentially free Bennett Place historic site in Durham Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia the Confederacy s most famous army The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman s advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865 27 In April 1865 after losing the Battle of Morrisville Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place in what is today Durham North Carolina s port city of Wilmington was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union in February 1865 after the Union won the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher its major defense downriver The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt from North Carolina in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861 At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett Pettigrew s Charge and advanced the farthest into Union lines of any Confederate regiment During the Battle of Chickamauga the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865 the 75th North Carolina Regiment a cavalry unit fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War The phrase First at Bethel Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga and Last at Appomattox later became used through much of the early 20th century 59 Reconstruction era through late 19th century Edit Main article Reconstruction era William Woods Holden a Unionist who served as the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina and during the Reconstruction era Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865 North Carolina along with other former Confederate States except Tennessee was put under direct control by the U S military and was relieved of its constitutional government and representation within the United States Congress in what is now referred to as the Reconstruction era In order to earn back its rights the state had to make concessions to Washington one of which was ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment Congressional Republicans during Reconstruction commonly referred to as radical Republicans constantly pushed for new constitutions for each of the Southern states that emphasized equal rights for African Americans In 1868 a constitutional convention restored the state government of North Carolina Though the Fifteenth Amendment was also adopted that same year it remained in most cases ineffective for almost a century not to mention paramilitary groups and their lynching with impunity 60 The elections in April 1868 following the constitutional convention led to a narrow victory for a Republican dominated government with 19 African Americans holding positions in the North Carolina State Legislature In attempt to put the reforms into effect the new Republican Governor William W Holden declared martial law on any county allegedly not complying with law and order using the passage of the Shoffner Act A Republican Party coalition of black freedmen northern carpetbaggers and local scalawags controlled state government for three years The white conservative Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1870 in part by Ku Klux Klan violence and terrorism at the polls to suppress black voting Republicans were elected to the governorship until 1876 when the Red Shirts a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the Democratic Party helped suppress black voting More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876 61 62 Post civil war debt cycles pushed people to switch from subsistence agriculture to commodity agriculture Among this time the notorious Crop Lien system developed and was financially difficult on landless whites and blacks due to high amounts of usury Also due to the push for commodity agriculture the free range was ended Prior to this time people fenced in their crops and had their livestock feeding on the free range areas After the ending of the free range people now fenced their animals and had their crops in the open 63 64 Segregated drinking fountain during the Jim Crow era in Halifax Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor s office but the Populists attracted voters displeased with them In 1896 a biracial Populist Republican Fusionist coalition gained the governor s office and passed laws that would extend the voting franchise to blacks and poor whites The Democrats regained control of the legislature in 1896 and passed laws to impose Jim Crow and racial segregation of public facilities Voters of North Carolina s 2nd congressional district elected a total of four African American congressmen through these years of the late 19th century Political tensions ran so high a small group of white Democrats in 1898 planned to take over the Wilmington government if their candidates were not elected In the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 white Democrats led around 2 000 of their supporters that attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood killed an estimated 60 to 300 people and ran off the white Republican mayor and aldermen They installed their own people and elected Alfred M Waddell as mayor in the only successful coup d etat in United States history 65 In 1899 the state legislature passed a new constitution with requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests for voter registration which disenfranchised most black Americans in the state 66 Exclusion from voting had wide effects it meant black Americans could not serve on juries or in any local office After a decade of white supremacy many people forgot North Carolina had ever had thriving middle class black Americans 67 Black citizens had no political voice in the state until after the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed to enforce their constitutional rights It was not until 1992 that another African American was elected as a U S Representative from North Carolina Early through mid 20th century Edit First successful flight of the Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk 1903 After the reconstruction era North Carolina had become a one party state dominated by the Democratic Party The state mainly continued with an economy based on tobacco cotton textiles and commodity agriculture Large towns and cities remained in few numbers However a major industrial base emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century in the counties of the Piedmont Triad based on cotton mills established at the fall line Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities 68 The state was the site of the first successful controlled powered and sustained heavier than air flight by the Wright brothers near Kitty Hawk on December 17 1903 Map of Research Triangle with points representing NC State University Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In the first half of the 20th century many African Americans left the state to go North for better opportunities in the Great Migration Their departure changed the demographic characteristics of many areas North Carolina was hard hit by the Great Depression but the New Deal programs of Franklin D Roosevelt for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers After World War II the state s economy grew rapidly highlighted by the growth of such cities as Charlotte Raleigh and Durham in the Piedmont region Research Triangle Park established in 1959 serves as the largest research park in the United States Formed near Raleigh Durham and Chapel Hill the Research Triangle metro is a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research The Greensboro Sit ins in 1960 played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks By the late 1960s spurred in part by the increasingly leftward tilt of national Democrats conservative whites began to vote for Republican national candidates and gradually for more Republicans locally 69 70 Late 20th century to present Edit North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh 2008 Since the 1970s North Carolina has seen steady increases in population growth This growth has largely occurred in metropolitan areas located within the Piedmont Crescent in places such as Charlotte Concord Greensboro Winston Salem Durham and Raleigh 71 The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance banking and tech industries 72 By the 1990s Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center Towards Raleigh North Carolina State Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have helped the Research Triangle area attract an educated workforce and develop more jobs 73 In 1988 North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association NBA The hornets team name stems from the American Revolutionary War when British General Cornwallis described Charlotte as a hornet s nest of rebellion 74 The Carolina Panthers of the National Football League NFL became based in Charlotte as well with their first season being in 1995 The Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League NHL moved to Raleigh in 1997 with their colors being the same as the NC State Wolfpack who are also located in Raleigh By the late 20th century and into the early 21st century economic industries such as technology pharmaceuticals banking food processing vehicle parts and tourism started to emerge as North Carolina s main economic drivers This marked a shift from the state s former main industries of tobacco textiles and furniture Factors that played a role in this shift were globalization the state s higher education system national banking the transformation of agriculture and new companies moving to the state 75 Geography EditMain article Geography of North Carolina Interactive map of North Carolina 3D Topographical Map of North Carolina Deer in the Eno River as it flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina Koppen climate types of North CarolinaNorth Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south Georgia on the southwest Tennessee on the west Virginia on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the east The United States Census Bureau places North Carolina in the South Atlantic division of the southern region 76 North Carolina consists of three main geographic regions the Atlantic coastal plain occupying the eastern portion of the state the central Piedmont region and the mountain region in the west which is part of the Appalachian Mountains The coastal plain consists of more specifically defined areas known as the Outer Banks a string of sandy narrow barrier islands separated from the mainland by sounds or inlets including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound the native home of the venus flytrap and the inner coastal plain where longleaf pine trees are native So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic more than a thousand ships have sunk in these waters since records began in 1526 The most famous of these is the Queen Anne s Revenge flagship of the pirate Blackbeard which went aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718 77 The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the Atlantic Seaboard fall line the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state s most populous region containing the six largest cities in the state by population 78 It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges Small isolated and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont including the Sauratown Mountains Pilot Mountain the Uwharrie Mountains Crowder s Mountain King s Pinnacle the Brushy Mountains and the South Mountains The Piedmont ranges from about 300 feet 91 m in elevation in the east to about 1 500 feet 460 m in the west The western section of the state is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the larger Appalachian Mountain range Among the subranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains and the Black Mountains 79 80 The Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6 684 feet 2 037 m the highest point east of the Mississippi River 80 81 Cullasaja Falls in Macon County North Carolina has 17 major river basins The five basins west of the Blue Ridge Mountains flow to the Gulf of Mexico while the remainder flow to the Atlantic Ocean 82 Of the 17 basins 11 originate within the state of North Carolina but only four are contained entirely within the state s border the Cape Fear the Neuse the White Oak and the Tar Pamlico basin 83 Flora and fauna Edit Further information Wildlife of North Carolina Major rivers Edit Further information List of rivers of North Carolina Climate Edit Main article Climate of North Carolina See also Climate change in North Carolina Graveyard Fields in the fallElevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state with the mountainous regions being coolest year round The climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream especially in the coastal plain These influences tend to cause warmer winter temperatures along the coast where temperatures only occasionally drop below the freezing point at night The coastal plain averages around 1 inch 2 5 cm of snow or ice annually and in many years there may be no snow or ice at all 84 The Atlantic Ocean exerts less influence on the climate of the Piedmont region which has hotter summers and colder winters than along the coast though winters are still mild 84 North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter with summer bringing threat of hurricanes tropical storms heavy rain and flooding 85 Destructive hurricanes that have hit North Carolina include Hurricane Fran Hurricane Florence Hurricane Floyd Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Hazel the latter being the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the state as a Category 4 in 1954 Hurricane Isabel ranks as the most destructive of the 21st century 86 87 North Carolina averages fewer than 20 tornadoes per year many of them produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk especially in the eastern part of the state The western Piedmont is often protected by the mountains which tend to break up storms as they try to cross over the storms will often re form farther east A phenomenon known as cold air damming often occurs in the northwestern part of the state which can weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter 88 In April 2011 the worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina s history occurred Thirty confirmed tornadoes touched down mainly in the Eastern Piedmont and Sandhills killing at least 24 people 89 90 In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian hit the area Monthly normal high and low temperatures Fahrenheit for various North Carolina cities City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecAsheville 91 47 27 51 30 59 35 68 43 75 51 81 60 84 64 83 63 77 56 68 45 59 36 49 29Boone 92 42 21 45 23 52 29 61 37 69 46 76 54 79 58 78 57 72 50 63 39 54 31 45 24Cape Hatteras 93 52 39 54 40 59 45 66 53 74 61 81 69 85 74 84 73 80 69 72 60 64 51 56 43Charlotte 91 51 30 55 33 63 39 72 47 79 56 86 64 89 68 88 67 81 60 72 49 62 39 53 32Fayetteville 94 54 33 59 35 66 42 75 50 82 59 89 68 91 72 90 70 84 64 75 52 67 43 56 35Greensboro 94 48 30 53 32 61 39 70 47 78 56 85 65 88 69 86 68 80 61 70 49 61 40 51 32Raleigh 94 51 31 55 34 63 40 72 48 80 57 87 66 90 70 88 69 82 62 73 50 64 41 54 33Wilmington 95 56 36 60 38 66 44 74 52 81 60 87 69 90 73 88 71 84 66 76 55 68 45 59 38Climate data for North CarolinaMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 86 30 90 32 100 38 102 39 107 42 108 42 109 43 110 43 109 43 102 39 90 32 87 31 110 43 Average high F C 49 9 9 9 53 7 12 1 61 8 16 6 71 0 21 7 78 1 25 6 85 2 29 6 88 1 31 2 86 8 30 4 80 8 27 1 71 6 22 0 62 5 16 9 52 5 11 4 70 2 21 2 Daily mean F C 39 2 4 0 42 3 5 7 49 5 9 7 58 1 14 5 66 1 18 9 74 1 23 4 77 5 25 3 76 3 24 6 69 9 21 1 59 4 15 2 50 4 10 2 41 7 5 4 58 7 14 8 Average low F C 28 4 2 0 30 9 0 6 37 2 2 9 45 2 7 3 54 0 12 2 63 0 17 2 66 8 19 3 65 8 18 8 58 9 14 9 47 2 8 4 38 3 3 5 30 8 0 7 47 2 8 4 Record low F C 34 37 31 35 29 34 0 18 13 11 22 6 30 1 29 2 23 5 5 15 22 30 33 36 34 37 Average precipitation inches mm 3 7 94 3 5 89 4 2 110 3 5 89 3 8 97 4 3 110 4 8 120 4 7 120 4 3 110 3 3 84 3 3 84 3 5 89 46 9 1 196 Average snowfall inches cm 2 0 5 1 1 4 3 6 0 6 1 5 0 1 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25 0 8 2 0 5 12 7 Source 1 North Carolina Climate Data according USA com averages Source 2 North Carolina Climate Office Archived from the original on December 31 2020 Retrieved December 27 2019 extremes Parks and recreation Edit The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities from swimming at the beach to skiing in the mountains North Carolina offers fall colors freshwater and saltwater fishing hunting birdwatching agritourism ATV trails ballooning rock climbing biking hiking skiing boating and sailing camping canoeing caving spelunking gardens and arboretums North Carolina has theme parks aquariums museums historic sites lighthouses elegant theaters concert halls and fine dining 96 97 North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation utilizing numerous local bike paths 34 state parks and 14 national parks National Park Service units include the Appalachian National Scenic Trail the Blue Ridge Parkway Cape Hatteras National Seashore Cape Lookout National Seashore Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie in Pender County the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston Salem the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills National Forests include Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina Pisgah National Forest in the western mountains and Nantahala National Forest in the southwestern part of the state Most populous counties Edit See also List of counties in North Carolina In 2020 the U S Census Bureau released its annual population estimate counts for North Carolina s counties Wake County has the largest population while Mecklenburg County has the second largest population in North Carolina 98 Largest combined statistical areas Edit North Carolina has three major Combined Statistical Areas with populations of more than 1 6 million U S Census Bureau 2018 estimates 99 Charlotte Metro Charlotte Concord Gastonia North Carolina South Carolina population 2 728 933 99 Research Triangle Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill North Carolina population 2 238 315 99 Piedmont Triad Greensboro Winston Salem High Point North Carolina population 1 677 551 99 Major cities Edit See also List of municipalities in North Carolina In 2018 the U S Census Bureau released 2018 population estimate counts for North Carolina s cities with populations above 70 000 Charlotte has the largest population in the state while Raleigh has the highest population density of North Carolina s largest cities 100 Largest cities or towns in North Carolina Source 2022 Estimate 101 Rank Name County Pop Rank Name County Pop Charlotte Raleigh 1 Charlotte Mecklenburg 903 211 11 Asheville Buncombe 96 829 Greensboro Durham2 Raleigh Wake 480 419 12 Greenville Pitt 88 1153 Greensboro Guilford 304 909 13 Gastonia Gaston 82 1454 Durham Durham 294 542 14 Jacksonville Onslow 73 2395 Winston Salem Forsyth 253 531 15 Huntersville Mecklenburg 64 2966 Fayetteville Cumberland 210 089 16 Apex Wake 63 0407 Cary Wake 182 619 17 Chapel Hill Orange 62 9068 Wilmington New Hanover 117 247 18 Burlington Alamance 58 7719 High Point Guilford 115 997 19 Kannapolis Cabarrus 55 21210 Concord Cabarrus 110 474 20 Rocky Mount Nash 53 713Demographics EditMain article Demographics of North Carolina Historical populationCensus Pop 1790393 751 1800478 10321 4 1810556 52616 4 1820638 82914 8 1830737 98715 5 1840753 4192 1 1850869 03915 3 1860992 62214 2 18701 071 3617 9 18801 399 75030 7 18901 617 94915 6 19001 893 81017 1 19102 206 28716 5 19202 559 12316 0 19303 170 27623 9 19403 571 62312 7 19504 061 92913 7 19604 556 15512 2 19705 082 05911 5 19805 881 76615 7 19906 628 63712 7 20008 049 31321 4 20109 535 48318 5 202010 439 3889 5 2022 est 10 698 973 102 2 5 Source 1910 2020 103 104 North Carolina population density map 2010 The United States Census Bureau determined the population of North Carolina was 10 439 388 at the 2020 U S census 105 106 Based on numbers in 2012 of the people residing in North Carolina 58 5 were born there 33 1 were born in another state 1 0 were born in Puerto Rico U S island areas or born abroad to American parent s and 7 4 were foreign born 107 Race and ethnicity Edit See also African Americans in North Carolina Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census Race and Ethnicity 108 Alone TotalWhite non Hispanic 60 5 60 5 63 9 63 9 African American non Hispanic 20 2 20 2 21 8 21 8 Hispanic or Latino c 10 7 10 7 Asian 3 3 3 3 4 0 4 Native American 1 0 1 2 5 2 5 Pacific Islander 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 2 Other 0 4 0 4 1 1 1 1 Historical racial demographics Racial composition 1990 109 2000 110 2010 111 White 75 6 72 1 68 5 Black 22 0 21 6 21 4 Asian 0 8 1 4 2 2 Native 1 2 1 2 1 3 Native Hawaiian andother Pacific Islander 0 1 0 1 Other race 0 5 2 3 4 3 Two or more races 1 3 2 3 Map of counties in North Carolina by racial plurality per the 2020 U S censusLegend Non Hispanic White 30 40 40 50 50 60 60 70 70 80 80 90 90 Black or African American 40 50 50 60 60 70 Native American 40 50 At the 2010 U S census 112 the racial composition of North Carolina was White 68 5 65 3 non Hispanic white 3 2 White Hispanic Black or African American 21 5 Latin and Hispanic American of any race 8 4 some other race 4 3 Multiracial American 2 2 Asian American 2 2 and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander 1 In 2020 North Carolina like much of the U S experienced a decline in its non Hispanic white population at the 2020 census non Hispanic whites were 62 2 Blacks or African Americans 20 5 American Indian and Alaska Natives 1 2 Asians 3 3 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders 0 1 people from other race 5 9 and multiracial Americans 6 8 113 Languages Edit Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina Language Percentage of population in 2010 114 Spanish 6 93 French 0 32 German 0 27 Chinese including Mandarin 0 27 Vietnamese 0 24 Arabic 0 17 Korean 0 16 Tagalog 0 13 Hindi 0 12 Gujarati Russian and Hmong tied 0 11 Italian and Japanese tied 0 08 Cherokee 0 01 115 North Carolina is home to a spectrum of different dialects of Southern American English and Appalachian English In 2010 89 66 7 750 904 of North Carolina residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language while 6 93 598 756 spoke Spanish 0 32 27 310 French 0 27 23 204 German and Chinese which includes Mandarin was spoken as a main language by 0 27 23 072 of the population five and older In total 10 34 893 735 of North Carolina s population age five and older spoke a mother language other than English 114 In 2019 87 7 of the population aged 5 and older spoke English and 12 3 spoke another language The most common non English language was Spanish at the 2019 American Community Survey 116 Religion Edit Religion in North Carolina 2014 117 Religion PercentEvangelical Protestant 35 Unaffiliated 20 Mainline Protestant 19 Historically Black Protestant 12 Catholic 9 Mormon 1 Eastern Orthodox 1 Jehovah s Witness 1 Jewish 1 Other faith 1 North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly Protestant first Anglican then Baptist and Methodist In 2010 the Southern Baptist Convention was the single largest Christian denomination with 4 241 churches and 1 513 000 members The second largest was the United Methodist Church with 660 000 members and 1 923 churches The third was the Roman Catholic Church with 428 000 members in 190 parishes The fourth largest was the Presbyterian Church USA with 186 000 members and 710 congregations this denomination was brought by Scots Irish immigrants who settled the backcountry in the colonial era 118 In 1845 the Baptists split into regional associations of the Northern United States and Southern U S over the issue of slavery These new associations were the Northern Baptist Convention today the American Baptist Churches USA and Southern Baptist Convention By the late 19th century the largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina were Baptists After emancipation black Baptists quickly set up their own independent congregations in North Carolina and other states of the South as they wanted to be free of white supervision 119 120 121 Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations such as the National Baptist Convention 120 Other primarily African American Baptist conventions which grew in the state since the 20th century were the Progressive National Baptist Convention and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Methodists the second largest group among North Carolinian Protestants were divided along racial lines in the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist tradition tends to be strong in the northern Piedmont especially in populous Guilford County Other prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina as of the Pew Research Center s 2014 study were non interdenominational Protestants and Pentecostalism The Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ are the largest Pentecostal denominations operating in the state while notable minorities include Oneness Pentecostals primarily affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International The state also has a special history with the Moravian Church as settlers of this faith largely of German origin settled in the Winston Salem area in the 18th and 19th centuries historically Scots Irish historically Scots Irish have had a strong presence in Charlotte and in Scotland County 122 A wide variety of non Christian faiths are practiced by other residents in the state including Judaism Islam Bahaʼi Buddhism and Hinduism The rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing ethnic and religious diversity within the state The number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state has increased along with general religious diversity as a whole There are also a substantial number of Quakers in Guilford County and northeastern North Carolina Many universities and colleges in the state have been founded on religious traditions and some currently maintain that affiliation including 123 Barton College Disciples of Christ Belmont Abbey College Catholic Bennett College for Women United Methodist Church Brevard College United Methodist Church Campbell University Baptist Catawba College United Church of Christ Chowan University Baptist Davidson College Presbyterian Duke University Historically Methodist Elon University United Church of Christ Gardner Webb University Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Greensboro College Methodist Guilford College Religious Society of Friends Quakers High Point University United Methodist Church Lees McRae College Presbyterian Lenoir Rhyne University Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Livingstone College African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Louisburg College United Methodist Church Mars Hill University Christian Methodist University United Methodist Church Montreat College Christian University of Mount Olive Baptist North Carolina Wesleyan College United Methodist Church William Peace University Presbyterian Pfeiffer University Methodist Queens University of Charlotte Presbyterian St Andrews Presbyterian College Presbyterian Saint Augustine s College Episcopal Salem College Moravian Church Shaw University Baptist Wake Forest University Historically Baptist Warren Wilson College Historically Presbyterian Wingate University Historically Baptist The state also has several major seminaries including the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest and the Hood Theological Seminary AME Zion in Salisbury Economy EditMain article Economy of North Carolina See also North Carolina locations by per capita income North Carolina s 2018 total gross state product was 496 billion 124 Based on American Community Survey 2010 2014 data North Carolina s median household income was 46 693 It ranked forty first out of fifty states plus the District of Columbia for median household income North Carolina had the fourteenth highest poverty rate in the nation at 17 6 with 13 of families that were below the poverty line 125 The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power 126 its pleasant climate and its wide variety of soils The state ranks third among the South Atlantic states in population but leads the region in industry and agriculture 127 128 North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco 129 Charlotte the state s largest city is a major textile and trade center According to a Forbes article written in 2013 employment in the Old North State has gained many different industry sectors Science technology engineering and math STEM industries in the area surrounding North Carolina s capital have grown 17 9 percent since 2001 Raleigh ranked the third best city for technology in 2020 due to the state s growing technology sector 130 In 2010 North Carolina s total gross state product was 424 9 billion 131 while the state debt in November 2012 according to one source totalled 2 4 billion 132 while according to another was in 2012 57 8 billion 133 In 2011 the civilian labor force was at around 4 5 million with employment near 4 1 million North Carolina is the leading U S state in production of flue cured tobacco and sweet potatoes and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs trout and turkeys 134 135 In the three most recent USDA surveys 2002 2007 2012 North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees 134 136 137 North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas 138 and in 2010 was chosen as the third best state for business by Forbes Magazine and the second best state by chief executive officer Magazine 139 Since 2000 there has been a clear division in the economic growth of North Carolina s urban and rural areas While North Carolina s urban areas have enjoyed a prosperous economy with steady job growth low unemployment and rising wages many of the state s rural counties have suffered from job loss rising levels of poverty and population loss as their manufacturing base has declined According to one estimate one half of North Carolina s 100 counties have lost population since 2010 primarily due to the poor economy in many of North Carolina s rural areas However the population of the state s urban areas is steadily increasing 140 Arts and culture EditMain articles Culture of North Carolina and List of museums in North Carolina North Carolina has traditions in art music and cuisine The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates 1 2 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina supporting more than 43 600 full time equivalent jobs and generating 119 million in revenue for local governments and the state of North Carolina 141 North Carolina established the North Carolina Museum of Art as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding 142 and continues to bring millions into the NC economy 143 One of the more famous arts communities in the state is Seagrove the handmade pottery capital of the U S where artisans create handcrafted pottery inspired by the same traditions that began in this community more than two hundred years ago TV and Film Edit Further information Category Films shot in North Carolina Category Television shows filmed in North Carolina and Films and television shows produced in Wilmington North Carolina Music Edit Main articles Music of North Carolina and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame North Carolina boasts a large number of noteworthy jazz musicians some among the most important in the history of the genre These include John Coltrane Hamlet High Point Thelonious Monk Rocky Mount Billy Taylor Greenville Woody Shaw Laurinburg Lou Donaldson Durham Max Roach Newland Tal Farlow Greensboro Albert Jimmy and Percy Heath Wilmington Nina Simone Tryon and Billy Strayhorn Hillsborough Fiddlin Bill Hensley mountain fiddler Asheville 1937 North Carolina is also famous for its tradition of old time music and many recordings were made in the early 20th century by folk song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford Musicians such as the North Carolina Ramblers helped solidify the sound of country music in the late 1920s while the influential bluegrass musician Doc Watson also hailed from North Carolina Both North and South Carolina are hotbeds for traditional rural blues especially the style known as the Piedmont blues Ben Folds Five originated in Winston Salem and Ben Folds still records and resides in Chapel Hill The British band Pink Floyd is named in part after Chapel Hill bluesman Floyd Council The Research Triangle area has long been a well known center for folk rock metal jazz and punk 144 James Taylor grew up around Chapel Hill and his 1968 song Carolina in My Mind has been called an unofficial anthem for the state 145 146 147 Other famous musicians from North Carolina include J Cole DaBaby 9th Wonder Shirley Caesar Roberta Flack Clyde McPhatter Nnenna Freelon Link Wray Warren Haynes Jimmy Herring Michael Houser Eric Church Future Islands Randy Travis Ryan Adams Ronnie Milsap Anthony Hamilton The Avett Brothers Charlie Daniels and Luke Combs Metal and punk acts such as Corrosion of Conformity Between the Buried and Me and Nightmare Sonata are native to North Carolina EDM producer Porter Robinson hails from Chapel Hill North Carolina is the home of more American Idol finalists than any other state Clay Aiken season two Fantasia Barrino season three Chris Daughtry season five Kellie Pickler season five Bucky Covington season five Anoop Desai season eight Scotty McCreery season ten and Caleb Johnson season thirteen North Carolina also has the most American Idol winners with Barrino McCreery and Johnson In the mountains the Brevard Music Center hosts choral operatic orchestral and solo performances during its annual summer schedule North Carolina has five professional opera companies Opera Carolina in Charlotte NC Opera in Raleigh Greensboro Opera in Greensboro Piedmont Opera in Winston Salem and Asheville Lyric Opera in Asheville Academic conservatories and universities also produce fully staged operas such as the A J Fletcher Opera Institute of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem the Department of Music of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Greensboro Among others there are three high level symphonic orchestras NC Symphony in Raleigh Charlotte Symphony and Winston Salem Symphony The NC Symphony holds the North Carolina Master Chorale The Carolina Ballet is headquartered in Raleigh and there is also the Charlotte Ballet The state boasts three performing arts centers DPAC in Durham Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh and the Blumenthal Performing Art Centers in Charlotte They feature concerts operas recitals and traveling Broadway musicals 148 149 150 Shopping Edit North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is the largest and most upscale mall in the Carolinas featuring multiple luxury tenants with their sole location in the state Other major malls in Charlotte include Northlake Mall and Carolina Place Mall in nearby suburb Pineville Other major malls throughout the state include Hanes Mall in Winston Salem North Carolina The Thruway Center in Winston Salem North Carolina Crabtree Valley Mall North Hills Mall and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh Friendly Center and Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro Oak Hollow Mall in High Point Concord Mills in Concord Valley Hills Mall in Hickory Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham and Independence Mall in Wilmington North Carolina and Tanger Outlets in Charlotte Nags Head Blowing Rock and Mebane North Carolina Cuisine and agriculture Edit 2008 Lexington Barbecue Festival A culinary staple of North Carolina is pork barbecue There are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and methods used in making the barbecue The common trend across Western North Carolina is the use of premium grade Boston butt Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a tomato based sauce and only the pork shoulder dark meat is used Western North Carolina barbecue is commonly referred to as Lexington barbecue after the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival which attracts more than 100 000 visitors each October 151 152 Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar and red pepper based sauce and the whole hog is cooked thus integrating both white and dark meat 153 Krispy Kreme an international chain of doughnut stores was started in North Carolina the company s headquarters are in Winston Salem Pepsi Cola was first produced in 1898 in New Bern A regional soft drink Cheerwine was created and is still based in the city of Salisbury Despite its name the hot sauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina its headquarters are also in Winston Salem The Hardee s fast food chain was started in Rocky Mount Another fast food chain Bojangles was started in Charlotte and has its corporate headquarters there A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral Started in 1973 the chain was founded in Fayetteville with headquarters located in Raleigh Popular pickle brand Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive in 1926 Fast casual burger chain Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes amp Fries also makes its home in Mount Olive Cook Out a popular fast food chain featuring burgers hot dogs and milkshakes in a wide variety of flavors was founded in Greensboro in 1989 and has begun expanding outside of North Carolina In 2013 Southern Living named Durham Chapel Hill the South s Tastiest City Over the last decade North Carolina has become a cultural epicenter and haven for internationally prize winning wine Noni Bacca Winery internationally prized cheeses Ashe County L institut International aux Arts Gastronomiques Conquerront Les Yanks les Truffes January 15 2010 international hub for truffles Garland Truffles and beer making as tobacco land has been converted to grape orchards while state laws regulating alcohol by volume ABV in beer allowed a jump from six to fifteen percent The Yadkin Valley in particular has become a strengthening market for grape production while Asheville recently won the recognition of being named Beer City USA Asheville boasts the largest number of breweries per capita of any city in the United States Recognized and marketed brands of beer in North Carolina include Highland Brewing Duck Rabbit Brewery Mother Earth Brewery Weeping Radish Brewery Big Boss Brewing Foothills Brewing Carolina Brewing Company Lonerider Brewing and White Rabbit Brewing Company North Carolina has large grazing areas for beef and dairy cattle Truck farms can be found in North Carolina A truck farm is a small farm where fruits and vegetables are grown to be sold at local markets The state s shipping commercial fishing and lumber industries are important to its economy Service industries including education health care private research and retail trade are also important Research Triangle Park a large industrial complex located in the Raleigh Durham area is one of the major centers in the country for electronics and medical research 154 Tobacco was one of the first major industries to develop after the Civil War Many farmers grew some tobacco and the invention of the cigarette made the product especially popular Winston Salem is the birthplace of R J Reynolds Tobacco Company RJR founded by R J Reynolds in 1874 as one of sixteen tobacco companies in the town By 1914 it was selling 425 million packs of Camels a year Today it is the second largest tobacco company in the U S behind Altria Group RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc which in turn is 42 owned by British American Tobacco 155 Ships named for the state Edit Further information USS North Carolina USS North Carolina on permanent display in Wilmington Several ships have been named after the state most famously USS North Carolina in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II Now decommissioned she is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington Another USS North Carolina a nuclear attack submarine was commissioned in Wilmington on May 3 2008 156 State parks Edit Main article List of North Carolina state parks The state maintains a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks amp Recreation NCDPR an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources NCDNCR 157 Armed forces installations Edit Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training on Fort Bragg March 2011 Fort Bragg near Fayetteville and Southern Pines is a large and comprehensive military base and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps 82nd Airborne Division and the U S Army Special Operations Command Serving as the air wing for Fort Bragg is Pope Field also located near Fayetteville Located in Jacksonville Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune combined with nearby bases Marine Corps Air Station MCAS Cherry Point MCAS New River Camp Geiger Camp Johnson Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world MCAS Cherry Point is home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Located in Goldsboro Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home of the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing One of the busiest air stations in the United States Coast Guard is located at the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City Also stationed in North Carolina is the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Southport On January 24 1961 a B 52G broke up in midair and crashed after suffering a severe fuel loss near Goldsboro dropping two nuclear bombs in the process without detonation 158 In 2013 it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed leaving just one low voltage switch preventing detonation 159 Tourism Edit Biltmore Estate Asheville Cape Hatteras Lighthouse located in North Carolina s Outer Banks Charlotte is the most visited city in the state attracting 28 3 million visitors in 2018 160 Area attractions include Carolina Panthers NFL football team and Charlotte Hornets basketball team Carowinds amusement park Charlotte Motor Speedway U S National Whitewater Center Discovery Place Great Wolf Lodge Sea Life Aquarium 161 Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Billy Graham Library Carolinas Aviation Museum Harvey B Gantt Center for African American Arts Culture Levine Museum of the New South McColl Center for Art Innovation Mint Museum and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Every year the Appalachian Mountains attract several million tourists to the western part of the state 162 including the historic Biltmore Estate The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the two most visited national park and unit in the United States with more than 25 million visitors in 2013 163 The City of Asheville is consistently voted as one of the top places to visit and live in the United States known for its rich art deco architecture mountain scenery and outdoor activities 164 165 In Raleigh many tourists visit the capital African American Cultural Complex 166 Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh Gregg Museum of Art amp Design at NCSU Haywood Hall House amp Gardens Marbles Kids Museum North Carolina Museum of Art North Carolina Museum of History North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Raleigh City Museum J C Raulston Arboretum Joel Lane House Mordecai House Montfort Hall and the Pope House Museum The Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team is also located in the city In the Conover Hickory area attractions include Hickory Motor Speedway RockBarn Golf and Spa 167 home of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Catawba County Firefighters Museum 168 the SALT Block 169 and Valley Hills Mall The Piedmont Triad or center of the state is home to Krispy Kreme Mayberry Texas Pete the Lexington Barbecue Festival and Moravian cookies The internationally acclaimed North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro attracts visitors to its animals plants and a 57 piece art collection along five miles 8 km of shaded pathways in the world s largest land area natural habitat park Seagrove in the central portion of the state attracts many tourists along Pottery Highway NC Hwy 705 MerleFest in Wilkesboro attracts more than 80 000 people to its four day music festival and Wet n Wild Emerald Pointe water park in Greensboro is another attraction 170 The Outer Banks and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year 171 The mainland northeastern part of the state having recently adopted the name the Inner Banks is also known as the Albemarle Region for the Albemarle Settlements some of the first settlements on North Carolina s portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain The region s historic sites are connected by the Historic Albemarle Tour Education EditPrimary and secondary education Edit See also List of school districts in North Carolina and List of high schools in North Carolina A lesson at New Kituwah Academy on the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina This bilingual language immersion school operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians teaches the same curriculum as other state elementary schools Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education but the board rather than the superintendent holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy In 2009 the board s chairman also became the chief executive officer for the state s school system 172 North Carolina has 115 public school systems each of which is overseen by a local school board 173 174 A county may have one or more systems within it The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Wake County Public School System Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Guilford County Schools Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools and Cumberland County Schools 175 In total there are 2 425 public schools in the state including over 200 charter schools 176 North Carolina Schools were segregated until the Brown v Board of Education trial and the release of the Pearsall Plan Previously the SAT was the dominant university entrance examination students took In 2004 76 of NC high school students took the SAT In 2012 state law changed which required 11th grade students to take the ACT The SAT testing rate fell to 46 in 2019 Because students now can take that test for free the ACT became the dominant university entrance examination This also caused SAT average scores to rise as in 1996 North Carolina was 48th nationally in SAT scores but the profile of students taking the SAT has gotten smaller 177 Colleges and universities Edit Further information List of colleges and universities in North Carolina and List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment In 1795 North Carolina opened the first public university in the United States the University of North Carolina now named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 178 More than 200 years later the University of North Carolina system encompasses 16 public universities including North Carolina State University North Carolina A amp T State University North Carolina Central University the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the University of North Carolina at Greensboro East Carolina University Western Carolina University Winston Salem State University the University of North Carolina at Asheville the University of North Carolina at Charlotte the University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina at Wilmington Elizabeth City State University Appalachian State University Fayetteville State University and UNC School of the Arts and 1 public boarding high school the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics 179 Along with its public universities North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community college system The largest university in North Carolina is currently North Carolina State University with more than 34 000 students 180 Old Well at UNC Chapel Hill Duke Chapel at Duke University Memorial Bell Tower at NC State Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University The Joyner Library clock tower at East Carolina University The New Quad at UNC Charlotte North Carolina is also home to many well known private colleges and universities including Duke University 181 Wake Forest University 182 Pfeiffer University Lees McRae College Davidson College Barton College North Carolina Wesleyan College Elon University Guilford College Livingstone College Salem College Shaw University the first historically black college or university in the South Laurel University William Peace University Meredith College Methodist University Belmont Abbey College the only Catholic college in the Carolinas Campbell University University of Mount Olive Montreat College High Point University Lenoir Rhyne University the only Lutheran university in North Carolina and Wingate University Health EditThe residents of North Carolina have a lower life expectancy than the U S national average of life expectancy According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in 2014 males in North Carolina lived an average of 75 4 years compared to the national average of 76 7 years Females in North Carolina lived an average of 80 2 years compared to the national average of 81 5 years Male life expectancy in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by an average of 6 9 years slightly higher than the male national average of a 6 7 year increase Life expectancy for females in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by 3 2 years lower that the female national average of a 3 9 year increase 183 Using 2017 2019 data the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for North Carolina counties ranged from 71 4 years for Swain County to 82 3 years for Orange County Life expectancy for the state was 78 1 years 184 The Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 79 2 years 185 Transportation EditMain article Transportation in North CarolinaFurther information Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina A North Carolina license plate Transportation systems in North Carolina consist of air water road rail and public transportation including intercity rail via Amtrak and light rail in Charlotte North Carolina has the second largest state highway system in the country as well as the largest ferry system on the east coast 186 North Carolina s airports serve destinations throughout the United States and international destinations in Canada Europe Central America and the Caribbean In July 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport which serves as the second busiest hub for American Airlines ranked as the 11th busiest airport in the United States with Raleigh Durham International Airport a focus city for Delta Air Lines and formerly a hub for American Airlines and Midway Airlines ranked as the 37th busiest airport in the United States 187 North Carolina has a growing passenger rail system with Amtrak serving most major cities Charlotte is also home to North Carolina s only light rail system known as the Lynx 188 Interstates Edit Main article Interstate Highways in North Carolina Primary Edit I 26 I 40 Future I 42 I 73 I 74 I 77 I 85 I 87 I 95 Auxiliary three digit Edit I 140 I 240 Future I 274 I 277 I 285 I 295 I 440 I 485 I 495 I 540 I 587 Future I 685 I 785 I 795 I 840 I 885 Business Routes Edit I 85 BL I 95 BL US highways Edit Further information List of U S Highways in North Carolina State routes Edit Further information List of state highways in North Carolina Secondary roads Edit Further information North Carolina Highway System Secondary roadsMedia EditSee also Category Mass media in North Carolina List of newspapers in North Carolina List of defunct newspapers of North Carolina List of radio stations in North Carolina and List of television stations in North Carolina Early newspapers were established in the eastern part of North Carolina in the mid 18th century The Fayetteville Observer established in 1816 is the oldest newspaper still in publication in North Carolina The Wilmington Star News established 1867 is the oldest continuously running newspaper As of January 1 2020 there were approximately 240 North Carolina newspapers in publication in the state of North Carolina 189 The News and Observer was founded in 1871 and is the largest in circulation in the state In 2006 The Charlotte Observer was acquired by the company it is the second largest circulating news paper in the state 190 Government and politics EditMain articles Government of North Carolina Politics of North Carolina and Political party strength in North Carolina North Carolina State Legislative Building North Carolina registered voters as of October 22 2022 update 191 Party Number of Voters PercentageUnaffiliated 2 634 894 35 59 Democratic 2 496 441 33 72 Republican 2 221 647 30 01 Libertarian 50 148 0 68 Green 218 0 00 Total 7 403 348 100 The government of North Carolina is divided into three branches executive legislative and judicial These consist of the Council of State led by the Governor the bicameral legislature called the General Assembly and the state court system headed by the North Carolina Supreme Court The state constitution delineates the structure and function of the state government Most municipalities in North Carolina operate under council manager governments 192 North Carolina s party loyalties have undergone a series of important shifts in the last few years While the 2010 midterms saw Tarheel voters elect a bicameral Republican majority legislature for the first time in more than a century North Carolina has also become a Southern swing state in presidential races Since Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter s comfortable victory in the state in 1976 the state had consistently leaned Republican in presidential elections until Democrat Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2008 In the 1990s Democrat Bill Clinton came within a point of winning the state in 1992 and also only narrowly lost the state in 1996 In 2000 Republican George W Bush easily won the state by more than 13 points By 2008 demographic shifts population growth and increased liberalization in densely populated areas such as the Research Triangle Charlotte Greensboro Winston Salem Fayetteville and Asheville propelled Barack Obama to victory in North Carolina the first Democrat to win the state since 1976 In 2012 North Carolina was again considered a competitive swing state with the Democrats even holding their 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte However Republican Mitt Romney ultimately eked out a two point win in North Carolina the only 2012 swing state Obama lost and one of only two states along with Indiana to flip from Obama in 2008 to the GOP in 2012 Furthermore Republican Donald Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2020 In 2012 the state elected a Republican governor Pat McCrory and lieutenant governor Dan Forest for the first time in more than two decades while also giving the Republicans veto proof majorities in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate Several U S House of Representatives seats flipped control in 2012 with the Republicans holding nine seats to the Democrats four In the 2014 mid term elections Republican David Rouzer won the state s seventh congressional district seat increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10 3 in favor of the GOP North Carolina Republicans won 10 of the 13 seats in 2016 when Democrats got 47 percent of the statewide vote In 2018 Republicans took nine with one seat undecided even though Democrats got 48 percent of the overall vote As a result of the 2020 census North Carolina will gain another seat in the 118th United States Congress for a total of 14 193 In a 2020 study North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in 194 Gerrymandering Edit See also Gerrymandering in the United States The state has been sued for racially gerrymandering the districts which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas resulting in skewed representation In 2000 the District Court ruled that the 12th District was an illegal racial gerrymander 195 This was again appealed now as Easley v Cromartie The U S Supreme Court reversed the District Court in 2001 and ruled that the 12th district boundaries were not racially based but was a partisan gerrymander They said this was a political question that the courts should not rule upon 196 In 2015 federal courts again ordered redistricting 197 Two suits challenging the state congressional district map were led by two dozen voters the state Democratic Party the state chapter of the League of Women Voters and the interest group Common Cause 197 They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under representation of a substantial portion of voters This case reached the United States Supreme Court in March 2019 which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland 197 Sports EditMain article Sports in North Carolina Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the RBC Center in Raleigh The Spectrum Center home arena of the NBA s Charlotte HornetsNorth Carolina is home to four major league sports franchises the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer are based in Charlotte while the Raleigh based Carolina Hurricanes play in the National Hockey League The Panthers and Hurricanes are the only two major professional sports teams that have the same geographical designation while playing in different metropolitan areas The Hurricanes are the only major professional team from North Carolina to have won a league championship having captured the Stanley Cup in 2006 North Carolina is also home to two other top level professional teams in less prominent sports the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women s Soccer League While North Carolina has no Major League Baseball team it does have numerous Minor League Baseball teams with the highest level of play coming from the Triple A Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls Additionally North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports including soccer and ice hockey most notably North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Checkers both of which play in the second tier of their respective sports In addition to professional team sports North Carolina has a strong affiliation with NASCAR and stock car racing with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord hosting two Cup Series races every year Charlotte also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame while Concord is the home of several top flight racing teams including Hendrick Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Petty GMS Motorsports Stewart Haas Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing Numerous other tracks around North Carolina host races from low tier NASCAR circuits as well Golf is a popular summertime leisure activity and North Carolina has hosted several important professional golf tournaments Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst has hosted a PGA Championship Ryder Cup two U S Opens and one U S Women s Open The Wells Fargo Championship is a regular stop on the PGA Tour and is held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte and Quail Hollow has also played host to the PGA Championship The Wyndham Championship is played annually in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club College sports are also popular in North Carolina with 18 schools competing at the Division I level The Atlantic Coast Conference ACC is headquartered in Greensboro and both the ACC Football Championship Game Charlotte and the ACC men s basketball tournament Greensboro were most recently held in North Carolina Additionally the city of Charlotte is home to the National Junior College Athletics Association s NJCAA headquarters 198 College basketball is very popular in North Carolina buoyed by the Tobacco Road rivalries between ACC members North Carolina Duke North Carolina State and Wake Forest The ACC Championship Game and the Duke s Mayo Bowl are held annually in Charlotte s Bank of America Stadium featuring teams from the ACC and the Southeastern Conference Additionally the state has hosted the NCAA Men s Basketball Final Four on two occasions in Greensboro in 1974 and in Charlotte in 1994 See also Edit United States portal North Carolina portalIndex of North Carolina related articles Outline of North Carolina List of people from North CarolinaNotes Edit a b In 1893 the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words Esse Quam Videri as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state s Coat of Arms and the date 20 May 1775 upon the great seal Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry References Edit Chapter 149 Archived from the original on November 8 2020 Retrieved May 20 2022 North Carolina Climate and Geography NC Kids Page North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State May 8 2006 Archived from the original on November 4 2006 Retrieved November 7 2006 a b Elevations and Distances in the United States United States Geological Survey 2001 Archived from the original on October 15 2011 Retrieved October 24 2011 Median Annual Household Income The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation Archived from the original on December 20 2016 Retrieved December 8 2016 State language Ncga state nc cus p 145 12 Retrieved May 23 2016 a Purpose English and Spanish are the most common languages of the people of the United States of America and the State of North Carolina This section is intended to preserve protect and strengthen the English language and not to supersede any of the rights guaranteed to the people by the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of North Carolina b English as the Official Language of North Carolina English is the official language of the State of North Carolina permanent dead link North Carolina Modern Language Association Archived from the original on June 4 2013 Retrieved August 11 2012 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts North Carolina www census gov Retrieved December 16 2022 Census profile Charlotte Concord Gastonia NC SC Metro Area Census Reporter Retrieved June 22 2022 Roberts Deon November 15 2018 Charlotte regains its place as No 2 U S banking center Will it keep it The Charlotte Observer Archived from the original on November 21 2018 Retrieved December 1 2018 Census profile Raleigh Durham Cary NC CSA Census Reporter Retrieved May 23 2022 a b Powell 2000 pp 34 35 The Halifax Resolves and the Declaration of Independence Archived May 2 2021 at the Wayback Machine National Park Service Retrieved May 2 2021 Richter William L William Lee 1942 2009 The A to Z of the Civil War and Reconstruction Richter William L William Lee 1942 Lanham Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 6336 1 OCLC 435767707 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Mount Mitchell State Park Archived from the original on November 20 2010 Retrieved November 7 2010 Western North Carolina Weather and Climate Information www hikewnc info Retrieved September 22 2022 Colonial Genocide in Indigenous North America Woolford Andrew John 1971 Benvenuto Jeff 1984 Hinton Alexander Laban Durham October 31 2014 ISBN 978 0 8223 5763 6 OCLC 873985135 Archived from the original on February 20 2021 Retrieved September 18 2020 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Richards Constance E Spring 2008 Contact and Conflict PDF American Archaeology p 14 Archived PDF from the original on June 24 2009 Retrieved June 26 2008 Patrick Gibbs Moore David G Beck Robin A Jr Rodning Christopher B March 2004 Joara and Fort San Juan culture contact at the edge of the world Antiquity ac uk Archived from the original on July 24 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 Randinelli Tracey 2002 Tanglewood Park Orlando Florida Harcourt p 16 ISBN 978 0 15 333476 4 North Carolina State Library North Carolina History Statelibrary dcr state nc us Archived from the original on February 5 2009 Retrieved July 24 2011 North Carolina Became a Royal Colony www ncdcr gov Retrieved September 22 2022 Paul Heinegg Free African Americans in Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Maryland and Delaware Freeafricanamericans com Archived from the original on August 7 2010 Retrieved July 24 2011 Cherokee Indians Uncpress unc edu November 16 1919 Archived from the original on July 26 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 Russell Thornton 1990 American Indian Holocaust and Survival A Population History since 1492 Archived January 8 2016 at the Wayback Machine University of Oklahoma Press p 79 ISBN 0 8061 2220 X Fenn and Wood Natives and Newcomers pp 24 25 Powell North Carolina Through Four Centuries p 105 a b c d Lefler and Newsome 1973 Blackbeard killed off North Carolina History com February 9 2010 Archived from the original on April 1 2015 Retrieved April 30 2015 D Moore 1997 A General History of Blackbeard the Pirate the Queen Anne s Revenge and the Adventure In Tributaries Volume VII 1997 pp 31 35 North Carolina Maritime History Council The American Revolution in North Carolina The Loyalists and Their Militias www carolana com Retrieved September 22 2022 http mangowebdesign com Website design and web development by Mango Web Design Tories North Carolina History Project Retrieved September 22 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code last code help North Carolina in the US Revolution NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Capitol History Archived from the original on October 29 2013 Retrieved May 16 2013 Wiki Article Historical Demography of the United States Lee 1923 p 53 Bethune Lawrence E Scots to Colonial North Carolina Before 1775 Lawrence E Bethune s M U S I C s Project Archived from the original on February 19 2012 Retrieved October 26 2011 Ancestry of the Population by State 1980 Table 3a Persons Who Reported a Single Ancestry Group for Regions Divisions and States PDF Archived PDF from the original on August 30 2019 Retrieved May 11 2012 Table 1 Type of Ancestry Response for Regions Divisions and States 1980 PDF Archived PDF from the original on July 8 2019 Retrieved May 11 2012 Indentured Servitude in Colonial America Webcitation org Archived from the original on October 22 2009 Retrieved May 11 2012 Today in History April 12 Library of Congress Washington D C 20540 USA Retrieved September 22 2022 The Halifax Resolves April 12 1776 Revolutionary War and Beyond Retrieved September 22 2022 Milton Ready The Tar Heel State A History of North Carolina U of South Carolina Press 2005 pp 116 120 Six Western Counties Ceded www ncdcr gov Retrieved September 22 2022 Kings Mountain American Battlefield Trust Retrieved September 22 2022 Stonestreet Ottis C IV The Battle of Cowan s Ford General Davidson s Stand on the Catawba River and its place in North Carolina History CreateSpace Publishing 2012 ISBN 978 1 4680 7730 8 p 2 3 4 a b Historical Census Browser Census Data for Year 1860 University of Virginia Library 2004 Archived from the original on October 11 2014 Retrieved June 26 2014 Paul Heinegg Free African Americans in Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Maryland and Delaware Archived September 19 2012 at the Wayback Machine 2005 John Hope Franklin Free Negroes of North Carolina 1789 1860 Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press 1941 reprint 1991 NC Business History Railroads Historync org Archived from the original on July 26 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 State Agency Finding Aid North Carolina Railroad Company 1849 1965 digital ncdcr gov Retrieved September 22 2022 Historic Sites The Road to Secession historicsites nc gov Archived from the original on January 29 2021 Retrieved January 25 2021 Center for Civic Education Lincoln Bicentennial with Supplemental Lesson Timeline Civiced org Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 Highlights Secession Docsouth unc edu Archived from the original on September 16 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 Today in History June 8 Memory loc gov April 9 1959 Archived from the original on May 14 2011 Retrieved July 24 2011 FAQs about North Carolina and the Civil War Archived June 24 2021 at the Wayback Machine North Carolina Museum of History Retrieved December 20 2020 Civil War Casualties American Battlefield Trust Archived February 5 2021 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 22 2020 Bennett Place Surrender American Battlefield Trust October 23 2018 Retrieved September 22 2022 Bochna Allie 2017 The Secret Societies of the South Southern Unionist Societies During the Civil War Archived April 12 2021 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Center for Civil War Studies Retrieved April 11 2021 First at Bethel Farthest to the Front at Gettysburg and Chickamauga and Last at Appomattox NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 NCpedia NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 Documenting Reconstruction Violence EJI Reports Retrieved September 22 2022 Beeby James M 2008 Red Shirt Violence Election Fraud and the Demise of the Populist Party in North Carolina s Third Congressional District 1900 The North Carolina Historical Review 85 1 1 28 ISSN 0029 2494 JSTOR 23523367 NCpedia NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 NCpedia NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 Chapter 5 Archived March 21 2009 at the Wayback Machine 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission Report North Carolina Dept of Cultural Resources Richard H Pildes Democracy Anti Democracy and the Canon Constitutional Commentary Vol 17 2000 p 27 Archived November 21 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 10 2008 Pildes 2000 Democracy Anti Democracy and the Canon pp 12 13 Economy NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 Twentieth Century North Carolina Timeline North Carolina Museum of History www ncmuseumofhistory org Retrieved September 22 2022 Twentieth Century NCpedia www ncpedia org Retrieved September 22 2022 North Carolina Population Growth More People Bigger Economy Archived February 3 2021 at the Wayback Machine Currituck Economic Development Retrieved December 22 2020 Duren Carolyn amp Khawaja Armughan May 16 2019 Charlotte NC outpacing nationwide growth in banking set for further expansion Archived November 16 2020 at the Wayback Machine S amp P Global Market Intelligence Retrieved December 22 2020 Job growth study Raleigh No 2 in tech No 1 in STEM Archived November 30 2020 at the Wayback Machine Wake County Economic Development Retrieved December 22 2020 WBTV Speak Out Editorial A Hornet s Nest of Rebellion Archived January 10 2022 at the Wayback Machine wbtv com Retrieved January 28 2022 Smith Rick September 17 2021 Mike Walden The five factors that made North Carolina s economy Archived January 14 2022 at the Wayback Machine WRAL TechWire Retrieved January 28 2022 Census Regions and Divisions of the United States PDF United States Census Bureau Geography Division Archived PDF from the original on December 19 2017 Retrieved December 15 2018 Blackbeard s Queen Anne s Revenge Coming Back to Beaufort Beach Carolina Magazine March 30 2011 Archived from the original on February 21 2013 People of North Carolina North Carolina State Board of Education Archived from the original on August 8 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 Facts About North Carolina Mountains USA Today Archived from the original on August 19 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 a b Facts for North Carolina s Mountain Region Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina January 21 2011 Archived from the original on August 12 2016 Retrieved August 8 2016 Elevations and Distances in the United States U S Geological Survey April 29 2005 Archived from the original on January 16 2008 Retrieved November 6 2006 North Carolina River Basins North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Archived from the original on September 29 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 River Basin Interactive Map NC Office of Environmental Education Archived from the original on April 11 2014 Retrieved June 10 2014 a b Overview State Climate Office of North Carolina Archived from the original on July 31 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 Severe Weather Summer Storms North Carolina Department of Transportation Archived from the original on August 15 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 Atlantic hurricane best track HURDAT version 2 Database United States National Hurricane Center September 19 2022 Retrieved January 1 2023 John Hairr 2008 The Great Hurricanes of North Carolina pp 139 150 NOAA National Climatic Data Center Archived from the original on October 16 2011 Retrieved October 24 2006 April 16 2011 North Carolina Tornado Outbreak National Weather Service February 3 2012 Archived from the original on August 7 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 North Carolina s largest tornado outbreak April 16 2011 US Tornadoes April 16 2013 Archived from the original on August 8 2016 Retrieved August 7 2016 a b NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archived from the original on June 28 2015 Retrieved December 16 2011 NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archived from the original on July 22 2015 Retrieved December 4 2012 NOWData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric 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Retrieved February 19 2020 Biggest US Cities By Population North Carolina 2018 Populations biggestuscities com Archived from the original on January 17 2019 Retrieved February 19 2020 Cities in North Carolina by Population 2022 worldpopulationreview com Retrieved September 13 2022 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts North Carolina www census gov Retrieved May 23 2022 Historical Population Change Data 1910 2020 Census gov United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on April 29 2021 Retrieved May 1 2021 Bureau US Census Data Census gov Retrieved December 22 2022 O Neil Bill April 27 2021 North Carolina gains additional seat in Congress after 2020 census results released WXII Archived from the original on April 27 2021 Retrieved April 27 2021 North Carolina among 6 states gaining House seats after 2020 Census myfox8 com April 26 2021 Archived from the original on April 27 2021 Retrieved April 27 2021 Data Access and Dissemination Systems DADS American FactFinder Results census gov Archived from the original on March 28 2015 Retrieved May 29 2012 Race and Ethnicity in the United States 2010 Census and 2020 Census census gov United States Census Bureau August 12 2021 Archived from the original on August 15 2021 Retrieved September 26 2021 Population Division Laura K Yax Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race 1790 to 1990 and By Hispanic Origin 1970 to 1990 For The United States Regions Divisions and States Archived from the original on July 25 2008 Retrieved January 5 2015 Population of North Carolina Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map Demographics Statistics Quick Facts Censusviewer com Retrieved July 26 2022 permanent dead link Center for New Media and Promotions C2PO 2010 Census Data Archived from the original on May 22 2017 Retrieved January 5 2015 2010 Census PDF US Census Archived PDF from the original on September 11 2011 Retrieved August 21 2011 North Carolina 2020 Census United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on 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January 29 2021 Retrieved December 30 2020 The number of farms in North Carolina is declining UNC Charlotte Urban Institute UNC Charlotte ui uncc edu Archived from the original on June 24 2021 Retrieved June 21 2021 Crop Profile for Tobacco in North Carolina PDF Regional IPM Centers December 2015 Archived PDF from the original on January 19 2019 Retrieved January 17 2019 Raleigh ranks as No 3 Tech Town in new study average pay hits 94 000 WRAL TechWire November 10 2020 Archived from the original on August 13 2021 Retrieved June 21 2021 GDP by State Greyhill Advisors Archived from the original on February 16 2012 Retrieved September 7 2011 Local amp North Carolina state news from Raleigh NC NewsObserver com Archived from the original on March 8 2014 Retrieved January 5 2015 The 19th worst state PDF Truth in Accounting Archived PDF from the original on March 5 2014 Retrieved February 27 2014 a b About NC State of North Carolina Archived from the original on August 17 2016 Retrieved 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