Grade Unit 1 Student Early Statehood

4^th Grade Unit 1 – Student

Early Statehood

As a state, North Carolina grew very slowly. The state had few good roads, large cities, or schools. Many people began calling North Carolina the “Rip Van Winkle state.” Rip Van Winkle is a character in a story who falls asleep for 20 years. After many years, North Carolina’s government began working to improve the state.

http://ncpedia.org/government

A New State Capital

At first, North Carolina’s state government met in the coastal towns of New Bern, Fayetteville, and Tarboro. However, many lawmakers wanted to move the capital – the city in which the state government meets – to the center of the state.

In 1788, leaders from each county met in Hillsborough to choose a new site for the capital. A county is a part of a state, usually larger than a city that has its own government.

Leaders chose a site in the Piedmont region for the capital. In 1792, the state government bought 1,000 acres of land in Wake County. Soon after, construction started on the capital. The town was named Raleigh, after the founder of the Roanoke Island colony.

In 1794, workers built the first state capitol in the center of Raleigh. A capitol is a building where lawmakers meet. Sometimes capitols are called statehouses. The first capitol burned down in 1831. A larger statehouse was built in the same location in 1840. It still serves as North Carolina’s state capitol.

State Improvements

One of North Carolina’s early leaders was Archibald Murphey. As a state lawmaker, he worked to improve education and transportation. Murphey also wanted lawmakers to change the state constitution to give people in western North Carolina more representation.

In 1835, North Carolina’s leaders changed the state constitution. The 1835 constitution allowed voters to elect the governor. This gave people a greater voice in the state government.

The state government also worked to improve education. By 1846, every county had a least one public school. A public school is run by the government and paid for by taxes.

Over time, many canals, railroads, and plank roads were built in North Carolina. A plank road is made by laying boards side by side across a trail. Plank roads could be used in rainy weather, when dirt roads were too muddy to use. Travelers paid a toll, or fee, to use the plank roads. Canals, railroads, and plank roads helped people travel and move goods more easily.

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