Summary

North Carolina describes life in the early colony, including the many conflicts with Native Americans, disease, the presence of pirates, the use of timber and tar in shipbuilding (which contributed to the state's nickname "The Tar Heel State"), and the history of slavery in the colony. It examines the early explorers, the growth of European nation-states, and the American Indian civilizations that existed before the Europeans arrived, as well as the first settlements in North Carolina—from the first English colonies in Virginia to the creation of North Carolina. The book ends with coverage of the battles and events of the Revolutionary War, such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord, as well as North Carolina's pivotal role in forming the federal constitution (after demanding a Bill of Rights) and its place as the twelfth state to ratify it.

Sidebars include:

• The Bill of Rights
• The governor's palace
• Granville Tract
• New Bern
• North Carolina's first town
• Tar Heels
• Women pirates
• The Yamasee War.

Specifications

44 black-and-white photographs. 7 maps and graphs. Index. Appendix of historical sites in the state. Sidebars. Timeline. Further reading list.

About the Author(s)

Craig A. Doherty has a B.A. in English and history from the University of Massachusetts and studied education at the graduate level at the University of New Mexico. Editor and co-owner of Field Trial Magazine, he has 11 years' experience teaching English at the high school level and six years' experience teaching social studies at both the middle and high school levels.

Katherine M. Doherty has a B.A. in anthropology from the University of New Mexico and an M.S. in library science from Simmons College. Director of learning resources for New Hampshire Community College, she has worked as a librarian at elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as entire school districts. A member of the American Library Association, the New Hampshire Library Association, and the New Hampshire State Library Advisory Council, Doherty serves as a trustee of the Dummer Public Library.

Together Craig A. Doherty and Katherine M. Doherty are coauthors of more than 25 nonfiction books for children and young adults.