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King Charles 2nd assigned Carolina territory to eight court favorites
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The Tuscarora War between Native Americans and European settlers. After two years of fighting a number of military expeditions, the Tuscarora ended the war, marking the last significant effort by eastern Indians to stop the wave of white settlers crowding them out of their land.
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Blackbeard the pirate is killed off the North Carolina coast.
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Tryron Palace is built in New Bern, becoming North Carolina's colonial capitol building.
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The women of Edenton, led by Penelope Barker, take on British rule by putting down their tea cups in what becomes known as the Edenton Tea Party.
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Hurricane struck Outer Banks; 165 killed; crops destroyed, mill-dams broken; unsuccessful attempt to instigate a slave revolt (Merrick's Slave Insurrection) frightened North Carolina slaveholders.
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February 27: The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge is the first battle of the American Revolution to be fought in North Carolina.
April 12: North Carolina becomes the first state to vote in favor of independence. -
November 21: North Carolina becomes the 12th state of the United States of America.
December 11: The University of North Carolina is chartered, becoming the first public school in the United States -
The capital of North Carolina, which had previously been located in New Bern, is moved to Raleigh.
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The first gold nugget is found in the United States at Reed Gold Mine in Cabarrus County.
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North Carolina becomes known as the "Rip Van Winkle" state because it makes so little progress that it appears to be asleep.
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The "Walton War" is fought between residents of Georgia and North Carolina
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North Carolina Native Andrew Jackson becomes the 7th president of the United States.
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The U. S. government forces Cherokee Indians from their homes in what becomes known as the "Trail of Tears." Many Cherokee hide in the mountains of North Carolina.
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Workmen attempting to fireproof the roof of the State Capitol ironically end up setting the building aflame.
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Edward B. Dudley becomes the first popularly elected governor
Detail-After years of having governors elected by the state senate, Edward B. Dudley becomes the first popularly elected governor of North Carolina. -
The first public schools open in North Carolina, based on a plan that had been drafted in 1817. The new State Capitol is completed.
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The United States Civil War. Some 40,000 North Carolinians are killed over the course of the war.
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March 19-21: The Battle of Bentonville becomes the bloodiest battle fought in North Carolina. The Confederates are defeated by Union troops.
April 26: A large number of Confederates surrender at Bennett Place, outside of Durham, North Carolina.
May 6: The last Confederate troops in North Carolina surrender.
April 15: Andrew Johnson becomes the 17th president of the United States. -
The last federal reoccupation troops leave North Carolina.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is created. -
The Wright brothers make man's first successful flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
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The United States enters World War I.
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The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution passes, giving women the right to vote across the country, including in North Carolina.
Tobacco becomes an important crop in North Carolina. -
Hurricane Hazel, one of the most destructive hurricanes in state history, batters the Carolina coast.
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Research Triangle Park opens in between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, ushering in an era of high-tech growth in North Carolina.
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Governor Terry Sanford starts his "Go Forward" program to improve education in North Carolina.
February 1: The first ever sit-in occurs in Greensboro, North Carolina, to protest segregation at a lunch counter. Within days, sit-ins are occurring across the state. -
Hurricane Hugo strikes North Carolina, reaching as far inland as Charlotte, and doing major damage.
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The Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina is ranked as the best place to live in the United States.
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Hurricane Fran strikes North Carolina, causing massive damage across the state.
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Hurricane Floyd slams into North Carolina, bringing with it flood waters that devastate many areas in the eastern part of the state.
