NC Symbols

By

Tysean

And Keiara

North Carolina

Capitol

North Carolina's state capitol rises majestically on Union Square in downtown Raleigh, a city specifically created in 1792 to serve as North Carolina's permanent capital. Built between 1833-40, the granite building is one of the finest and best preserved examples of civic Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Relatively small in comparison to many other state capitols, this impressive structure has stood as a symbol of pride to North Carolinians for more than 150 years.

Governor

The inauguration of Beverly Eaves Perdue as the 73rd Governor of North Carolina - and our state's first woman governor - follows a distinguished tenure in public service focused on creating 21st century jobs, fighting for world-class public schools, and improving the health of our people. Before entering public service, Perdue worked as a public school teacher, as director of geriatric services at a community hospital in her hometown of New Bern, and earned a Ph.D. in Education Administration.

Prior to her election as Governor, Perdue established herself as one of the most active and accomplished Lieutenant Governors in North Carolina history.

State Bird

The cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was adopted as the official state bird of North Carolina on March 4, 1943.

State mammal

The gray squirrel is a common inhabitant of most areas of North Carolina from "the swamps of eastern North Carolina to the upland hardwood forests of the piedmont and western counties." He feels more at home in an "untouched wilderness" environment, although many squirrels inhabit our city parks and suburbs. During the fall and winter months the gray squirrel survives on a diet of hardwoods, with acorns providing carbohydrates and proteins. In the spring and summer, their diet consists of "new growth and fruits" supplemented by early corn, peanuts, and insects.

State flower

National Geographic Magazine listed the daisy as North Carolina's state flower in April 1917. Indeed, the daisy was a popular flower in the state. Though the July 1936 issue of Flower Grower Magazine cited the oxeye daisy as North Carolina's state flower, a bill sponsoring the daisy as the official state flower was defeated. The goldenrod was also popularly thought of as the state flower by many in North Carolina but, like the daisy, it's abundance throughout the state and its support from garden clubs were not enough to make it official

The great seal

In 1971, North Carolina's General Assembly resolved to standardize the design of the state's seal. Prior to this resolution, the seal took on many different design variations. The ship which appears in the background of the present seal, for example, had totally disappeared from some previous seals. Mottos and dates came and went, and the images changed with the artists and office holders. So, the General Assembly passed this resolution in 1971:

State motto

Motto, Esse Quam Videri (To be rather than to seem)

State Tree

The pine is the most common of the trees found in North Carolina, as well as the most important one in the history of our State. During the Colonial and early Statehood periods, the pine was a vital part of the economy of North Carolina. From it came many of the "naval stores" - resin, turpentine, and timber - needed by merchants and the navy for their ships. The pine has continued to supply North Carolina with many important wood products.

The pine was officially designated as the State Tree by the General Assembly of 1963. (Session Laws, 1963, c. 41).

State song

Carolina! Carolina! Heaven's blessings attend her! While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her; Though the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her, Our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State

State flag

The flag's field was changed from red to blue. The top bar of the fly was changed from blue to red. The gilt letters "N" and "C" were placed on either side of the white star and gilt scrolls were added above and below the star. The scroll above still displays the date of the "Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence" but the date displayed in black letters on the lower scroll displays April 12, 1776, the date of the "Halifax Resolves" instead of May 20, 1861, the date of secession.

State vegetable

Sweet Potato     Students at a Wilson County school petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly for the establishment of the sweet potato as the Official State Vegetable. Their assignment lead to the creation of the newest state symbol.

State Reptile

The Eastern Box Turtle is found all along the East Coast, and as far inland as Michigan, Kansas, and Texas. The name derives from the box turtle's ability to retract its head and legs into its shell and clamp it shut, thus creating a protective "box." Eastern Box Turtles are omnivores, living on a varied diet of plants and plant roots, fish, snails, berries, fungi, snails, and even small birds or snakes. Some turtles may live to be over 100, though 40 - 60 years is the average

State Nickname

Name (Carolina) and Nicknames (The Old North State or The Tar Heel State)

Carolina The word Carolina comes from Carolus,

the Latin form of the name Charles.

State Dog

The Plott Hound breed of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) originated in the mountains of North Carolina around 1750 and is the only breed known to have originated in this State. Named for Jonathan Plott who developed the breed as a wild boar hound, the Plott Hound is a legendary hunting dog known as a courageous fighter and tenacious tracker. The Plott Hound is also a gentle and extremely loyal companion to hunters of North Carolina. The Plott Hound is very quick of foot with superior treeing instincts and has always been a favorite of big-game hunters

State Dance

Clogging (the name of which derives from the Gaelic word for "time") is the name of a distinctive dance style which originated in the Appalachian mountains. Settlers from Northern and Western Europe (such as Holland, Germany, and the British Isles) brought their respective folk dance traditions to the colonies, which were further shaped by Native American and African American dance influences. These influences all combined and evolved into a percussive "foot-tapping" style of dance now known as Clogging. In the 1920's, Bascom Lamar Lunsford added team clogging to the competitions held at his annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, thus helping to establish Clogging as a significant part of Appalachian cultural heritage.

State colors

The General Assembly of 1945 declared Red and Blue of shades appearing in the North Carolina State Flag and the American Flag as the official State Colors. (Session Laws, 1945, c. 878).

State Fruit

The Scuppernong (vitis rotundifolia) is a variety of muscadine grape, and has the distinction of being the first grape ever actively cultivated in the United States. It was named for the Scuppernong River, which runs from Washington County to the Albemarle Sound. Giovanni de Verrazano noticed this variety as far back as 1524, and explorers for Sir Walter Raleigh (or Ralegh, as it's sometimes spelled) in the 1580's sent back reports from the Outer Banks of grape vines that "…covered every shrub and climbed the tops of high cedars. In all the world, a similar abundance was not to be found." The Roanoke colonists are credited with discovering the Scuppernong "Mother Vineyard," a vine that is now over 400 years old and covers half an acre.

State Boat

Traditional small sailing craft were generally ill-suited to the waterways and weather conditions along the coast. The shallow draft of the Shad Boat plus its speed and easy handling made the boat ideal for the upper sounds where the water was shallow and the weather changed rapidly. The boats were built using native trees such as cypress, juniper, and white cedar, and varied in length between twenty-two and thirty-three feet. Construction was so expensive that the production of the Shad Boat ended in the 1930s, although they were widely used into the 1950s. The boats were so well constructed that some, nearly 100 years old, are still seen around Manteo and Hatteras.

References Pictures and information taken from the following sites:

www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/northcarolina

www.consultwebs.com/ncphotos/nc_state_capitol.html

www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/61capitol/61capitol.htm

www.governor.state.nc.us www.netstate.com/states/symb/nc_symb.htm statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/symbols/

symbols.htm www.50states.com/ncarolin.htm