OCR Text |
Show NORTH CAROLINA ffgjg JHE capital of - ysySB-sV North Carolina fffl$a is ver-v appropri- l( F CjS 1 1 ately named Ra- XmwiW Sk' WaIter Ra'eigh fSm&0ty who was respon-4ogvS respon-4ogvS sible for North Carolina's first settlement. It was in 15S4 that Raleigh obtained permission from Queen Elizabeth to plant an English colony in America, and the expeditions ex-peditions which he sent established a little colony on Roanoke island. There in 15S7 was horn the first American child of English parents. She was named Virginia Dare, after the virgin queen. This colony, due to England's war with Spain, could not be properly supported, and after a few years perished. per-ished. It was not until over a century later that permanent settlements were made. Daring pioneers from Virginia pressed south Into the new territory, and these, augmented by a large company com-pany of Huguenots from France and a greater number of Germans from the Palatinate, founded the first North Carolina town of Newburn in 1710. By the time of the Revolution the population popu-lation in North Carolina had increased to such an extent, with an influx of Scotch-Irish and Scotch Highlanders who settled chiefly in the western counties, that it ranked fourth among the original thirteen colonies. Today its population entitles it to twelve electoral votes for President. In area it stands about half way among the states with 52,420 square miles. North Carolina was the twelfth state to adopt the Constitution, the formal ratification taking place in November, 17S9. The derivation of the name Carolina, as in the case of South Carolina, Car-olina, came from itlie Latin Carolus, meaning Charles, and was given originally orig-inally in honor of King Charles IX of France and retained by King Charles II of England. North Carolina is also known as the Old North state. |