NORTH CAROLINA - The name "North Carolina" is deeply embedded in the identity of the state, conjuring images of its diverse landscapes, from the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Yet, like its southern counterpart, this name isn't a product of Indigenous languages or local geography, but a direct legacy of European royal ambition. To understand the "original name" of North Carolina, one must delve into the broader colonial claims made by the English monarchy over a vast territory initially known simply as "Carolina."
Beyond North Carolina: Unveiling the Genesis of the Old North State's Name
Carolina: A Royal Homage
The story of North Carolina's name begins with a sweeping English claim to a massive expanse of land in North America, named in honor of a king.
- King Charles I (1629): The earliest English charter to lay claim to this territory was granted in 1629 by King Charles I of England to his Attorney General, Sir Robert Heath. In a dedication to himself, King Charles I designated this immense tract of land as "Carolana" (a Latinized form of "Charles's Land"). This original grant encompassed a vast area, stretching from the southern border of Virginia down to Spanish Florida and from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific. Although Heath's colonization efforts ultimately failed, the name "Carolana" was thus the very first European designation for the region.
The Lords Proprietors and the Re-establishment of "Carolina"
The more successful and permanent English presence in the region came several decades later, after the English monarchy was restored.
- King Charles II (1663): In 1663, King Charles II (son of Charles I) issued a new royal charter. This time, he granted the territory to eight powerful English noblemen who became known as the Lords Proprietors. This new charter explicitly named the entire region "Carolina," in honor of King Charles II himself (and by extension, his father). The intent was clear: this was "Charles's Land."
The Gradual Emergence of "North Carolina"
For many years, "Carolina" was, in theory, a single proprietary colony. However, the sheer size of the territory, coupled with different settlement patterns and economic interests, led to a natural and eventually formal division.
- Albemarle Colony: The earliest permanent English settlements in the northern part of the Carolina grant were primarily by migrants from Virginia, settling around the Albemarle Sound in the mid-17th century. This area became known as the "Albemarle Colony" or "Albemarle County." This represents the earliest distinct European administrative unit within what would become North Carolina.
- De Facto Split: The northern settlements were geographically distant and had a different character (focused on tobacco and naval stores) from the southern settlements that grew up around Charles Town (present-day Charleston, South Carolina), which focused on rice and indigo and attracted a more diverse group of English and Barbadian planters. Governing such a vast and distinct territory from a single center proved impractical.
- Formal Division (Early 18th Century): By the early 18th century, the informal divisions became formalized. Although exact dates vary, 1712 is often cited as the year when the Lords Proprietors officially appointed a separate deputy governor for the northern settlements, creating the "Province of North Carolina" distinct from the "Province of South Carolina." This separation was further cemented when both colonies reverted to royal rule in the 1720s.
The "original name" for the territory that would become North Carolina, in the context of European colonization, was "Carolana" or "Carolina," directly honoring King Charles I and King Charles II of England. While early settlements within this vast region took on names like "Albemarle Colony," the eventual division of the larger "Carolina" grant led to the formal establishment of "North Carolina" in the early 18th century, a name it has proudly carried ever since.
Sources:
- NCpedia (North Carolina History)
- North Carolina Historical Society
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries
- Colonial Records of North Carolina
- Various historical texts on colonial Carolina