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North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern United States, the 28th largest and 9th most populous of the fifty states. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and is one of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named in honor of King Charles I of England, who first formed the English colony, with Carolus being Latin for 'Charles'. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States constitution.
This picture is a historical depiction of North Carolina's coat of arms, as illustrated by American engraver Henry Mitchell in State Arms of the Union, published in 1876 by Louis Prang. The shield depicts personifications of Liberty on the left and Plenty on the right. Liberty holds a liberty pole in her left hand and a scroll with the word "Constitution" in her right hand, while Plenty holds the end of a cornucopia next to her in her left hand and three heads of wheat in her right hand, extended towards Liberty. A similar design is featured in the current seal of North Carolina.Illustration credit: Henry Mitchell; restored by Andrew Shiva