The Old North State is a nickname given to North Carolina. Carolina was divided in 1710 into two parts; the southern part became South Carolina and the northern part became North Carolina. The northern part then became known in the region as the Old North State. It is one of North Carolina's many nicknames, which include the Tar Heel State, The Land of the Sky, the Turpentine State, and The Rip Van Winkle State. The official state song of North Carolina is also called the "Old North State."
North and South Carolina were originally one British Colony. The colony was named after King Charles I, whose Latin name was Carolus. The split of the colony came in the early eighteenth century, but the definitive reason for the split is unclear. There were border disputes between North Carolina and Virginia around that time, as well as organizational issues in governing the area. North Carolina became a separate colony, and the nickname The Old North State was born. Around the time of the American Revolution, North Carolina was the first state to endorse independence from Great Britain at the Continental Congress. Several key battles during the American Revolution were fought in North Carolina as well. Shortly after the Revolution, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution, officially making it a part of the United States.
The Old North State is usually referred to simply as North Carolina in modern times. It is in the Southeast United States along the Atlantic seaboard, and it is bordered by South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. During the United States Civil War, North Carolina joined the Confederacy and fought for the South against the North's Union Army. It was, however, the last of the Southern states to join the Confederacy, and the state did so reluctantly. Many people in North Carolina were sympathetic to the Union cause, and it wasn't until President Abraham Lincoln ordered an invasion of South Carolina that North Carolina joined the Confederacy. While North Carolina supplied the most troops to the Confederate Army, very few battles were fought there. Further, a large number of North Carolinians joined the Union Army, and many residents of North Carolina silently remained loyal to the north.
In recent years, the Old North State has grown substantially. Finance and industry have helped the state to grow rapidly, and Charlotte, the state's largest city, is home to many large bank headquarters. The state is growing in other areas as well, including population, education, and tourism.
By Dan Cavallari