North Carolina describes life in the early colony, including the many conflicts with Native Americans, disease, the presence of pirates, the use of timber and tar in shipbuilding (which contributed to the state's nickname ""The Tar Heel State""), and the history of slavery in the colony. It examines the early explorers, the growth of European nation-states, and the American Indian civilizations that existed before the Europeans arrived, as well as the first settlements in North Carolina - from the first English colonies in Virginia to the creation of North Carolina. The book ends with coverage of the battles and events of the Revolutionary War, such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord, as well as North Carolina's pivotal role in forming the federal constitution (after demanding a Bill of Rights) and its place as the twelfth state to ratify it.