To be, Rather Than to Seem: Comparative Colonialism and the Idea of the Old North State.

Summary

North Carolina has often been described as "a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit" a sentiment also reflected in the official state motto "to be rather than to seem."  The idea that North Carolina was markedly different from either of its colonial neighbors has been almost universally accepted.  The contrast has been forwarded by North Carolinians for generations, from historians to presidential candidates. For example, the often cited lack of a deep-water port has been used to explain differences in areas as varied as early colonial settlement patterns or to the nature of slavery. Using an archaeological and documentary record reflecting 430 years of colonial history, this paper identifies avenues of potential research that could test the veracity of these perceptions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Making waves: A celebration of the scholarship and influence of Marley Roberts Brown III

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 113