Tar Heel State Explanation Flashcards
Click the card to read about why NC is called the Tar Heel State
During colonial times, North Carolina was a big producer of tar. This was produced by NC’s pine trees. The tar was used to coat wooden ships to keep water from seeping in.
The relentless black substance would produce a displeasing smell, so some would use the term “Tar Boilers” to describe the people who harvested it.
And, of course, it was messy to work with, too, inevitably winding up on the feet of workers, including on their heels. So they were called “Tar Heels.
Click the card to read about why NC is called the Old North State
North Carolina and South Carolina started out as one colony called “Carolina Colony.” It was so large that it was difficult to manage. To fix this problem it was broken into to parts. The southern part was called South Carolina and the older, northern settlement North Carolina. From this came the nickname the “Old North State.”
