Province of Carolina

Quick Facts: Who was Province of Carolina?

Subject:

Province of Carolina

Known for:

A vast English colony in North America, established by charter to counter Spanish claims.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Province of Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of England (1663–1707) and later the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America from 1663 until the Carolinas were partitioned into North and South in 1712. However, the two parts did not become separate and administrative royal colonies until 1729. The original North American Carolina province of 1663 consisted of all or parts of present-day Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. "Carolina" is taken from the Latin word for "Charles" (Carolus), honoring King Charles I. On October 30, 1629, King Charles I of England granted a patent to Sir Robert Heath for the lands south of 36 degrees and north of 31 degrees, "under the name, in honor of that king, of Carolana." Heath wanted the land for French Huguenots, but when Charles restricted use of the land to members of the Church of England, Heath assigned his grant to George, Lord Berkeley. King Charles I was executed in 1649 and Heath fled to France where he died.

Career & Major Achievements

Following the 1660 restoration of the monarchy, Robert Heath's heirs attempted to reassert their claim to the land, but Charles II ruled the claim invalid. Although the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island was the first English attempt at settlement in the Carolina territory, the first permanent English settlement was not established until the 1653 Albemarle Settlement, when emigrants from the Virginia Colony, with others from New England and Bermuda, settled at the mouths of the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers, on the shores of Albemarle Sound, in the northeastern corner of present-day North Carolina. Within three generations of Columbus, the Spanish from their Florida base had started to emigrate up the coast of modern North Carolina. A Virginia tribe defending their resources and families drove them back to Georgia. A Scottish contingent had meanwhile settled in South Carolina only to be extirpated by the Spanish, who inhabited Parris Island as late as 1655.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Spanish were again beaten back to Georgia. On March 24, 1663, Charles II issued a new charter to a group of eight English noblemen, granting them the land of Carolina as a reward for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England. The eight were called Lords Proprietors or simply Proprietors. The 1663 charter granted the Lords Proprietor title to all of the land from the southern border of the Virginia Colony at 36 degrees north to 31 degrees north; this included all the land between these northerly and southerly bounds from the Atlantic westward to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The King intended for the newly created province to serve as an English bulwark to contest lands claimed by Spanish Florida and prevent their northward expansion.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1629: 1629 Milestone — On October 30, 1629, King Charles I of England granted a patent to Sir Robert Heath for the lands south of 36 degrees and north of 31 degrees, "under the name, in honor of that king, of Carolana.
2. 1649: 1649 Milestone — King Charles I was executed in 1649 and Heath fled to France where he died.
3. 1653: 1653 Milestone — Although the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island was the first English attempt at settlement in the Carolina territory, the first permanent English settlement was not established until the 1653 Albemarle Settlement, when emigrants from the Virginia Colony, with others from New England and Bermuda, settled at the mouths of the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers, on the shores of Albemarle Sound, in the northeastern corner of present-day North Carolina.
4. 1655: 1655 Milestone — A Scottish contingent had meanwhile settled in South Carolina only to be extirpated by the Spanish, who inhabited Parris Island as late as 1655.
5. 1660: 1660 Milestone — Following the 1660 restoration of the monarchy, Robert Heath's heirs attempted to reassert their claim to the land, but Charles II ruled the claim invalid.
6. 1663: 1663 Milestone — The Province of Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of England (1663–1707) and later the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1712) that existed in North America from 1663 until the Carolinas were partitioned into North and South in 1712.
7. 1729: 1729 Milestone — However, the two parts did not become separate and administrative royal colonies until 1729.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Province of Carolina

True or False: “The initial grant for the Carolina lands was made directly by King Charles II in 1663.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the charter was issued by Charles II, earlier patents were granted by King Charles I to Sir Robert Heath.

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