Everything about The Carolinas totally explained
The Carolinas is a term used in the
United States to refer collectively to the
states of
North and
South Carolina. The Carolinas were known as the
Province of Carolina during America's
colonial period, from
1663–
1710. Prior to that, the land was considered part of the
Colony and Dominion of Virginia, from
1609–
63.
The province, named "Carolina" to honor King
Charles I of England, was divided into South Carolina and North Carolina in
1729, although the actual date is the subject of debate.
Culture
The Carolinas are very much part of
The South, though Carolina culture and overall Southern culture have some differences. Although the national
news media and many non-residents refer to the two states as simply the Carolinas, and to its residents as "Carolinians," many people in both states are offended by the single "Carolina" moniker, and insist on seeing themselves as distinct North or South Carolinians. Indeed, many fans of the sports teams of the
University of South Carolina strongly resent the frequent national media identification of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as
the Carolina. In fact, historically there are a number of strong differences in the settlement patterns, political development, and economic growth of the two states. For example, during the
American Civil War South Carolina was the first Southern state to
secede from the Union, while North Carolina was the last state to secede. During the war South Carolina was generally one of the strongest supporters of the
Confederacy. Although North Carolina provided more soldiers to the Confederate armies than any other state, many North Carolinians (especially in the western part of the state) refused to support the Confederacy at all; they either remained neutral or covertly supported the Union during the war. North Carolina's Civil War Governor,
Zebulon Vance, was an outspoken critic of Confederate President
Jefferson Davis and frequently refused to obey Davis's orders for reinforcements and supplies; Vance insisted the soldiers and supplies were needed in North Carolina.
Politics
During most of the twentieth century South Carolina was a bastion of the "Solid Democratic South" with almost no Republican officeholders, and the state frequently elected politicians who were outspoken supporters of
racial segregation. North Carolina, while mostly Democratic, did contain a large Republican minority (the state voted Republican in the presidential election of 1928 and elected several Republican Congressmen, Governors, and Senators from 1868-1928), and North Carolina was widely known as one of the more progressive Southern states on the issue of segregation and civil rights. In 1947 the famous journalist
John Gunther, in his bestselling classic
Inside USA, wrote "that North Carolina is by a good deal the most progressive Southern state will, I imagine, be agreed to by almost everybody." (Gunther, 719) On the other hand, he described South Carolina as "one of the poorest American states, and probably one of the balkiest." (Gunther, 723) In describing the differences between the two states, Gunther noted that, in 1947,
divorce in North Carolina "may be granted simply on the ground of absence of cohabitation; South Carolina is the one American state in which divorce isn't possible." (Gunther, 719) North Carolina's nickname for many years was "a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit," the "mountains" were Virginia and South Carolina (Gunther, 719). However, Gunther's observations can be compared to recent developments which reveal South Carolina progressivism contrasted with North Carolina's conservatism, such as the continuing existence of dry counties in North Carolina and South Carolina's creation of a state lottery years before North Carolina followed suit.
Sports
As
professional sports teams have moved into the Carolinas, their owners have tried to lure more fans to their teams by using the singular "Carolina" as a team name. The two most prominent examples of this are the
NFL's
Carolina Panthers and the
NHL's
Carolina Hurricanes. This has been done even though all of the major pro sports teams in the Carolinas are today located in North Carolina. However, the Carolina Panthers did play their inaugural season home games in South Carolina, prior to moving to their current venue.
Food
A nationally-famous staple of Carolina
cuisine is pork
barbecue. However, even here there are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and method of preparation used in making the barbecue. In the eastern portions of both North Carolina and South Carolina, pork barbecue uses a
vinegar-based sauce; western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a
ketchup-based sauce; in the South Carolina midlands and upstate regions, pork barbecue often uses a
mustard-based sauce.
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Carolinas'.
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