This ornament depicts North Carolina's most famous nickname, The Tar Heel State. Historians have recorded that the principal products during the early history of North Carolina were tar, pitch, and turpentine that were produced in the pine woods of the state. There are several stories as to how North Carolinians came to be called Tar Heels. The best known emerged during the Civil War. Troops from North Carolina, during a fierce battle in Virginia, stuck to their posts, successfully fighting it out alone. It was said that President Jefferson Davis wanted to buy all the tar in North Carolina to make Virginians stick fast, too. General Robert E. Lee, upon hearing of the incident, said “God bless the Tar Heel boys”, and from that they took the name. Over the years, the name has become widely accepted, with the correct spelling consisting of two words, Tar Heels. |
|
