Carolana facts for kids

Map of Carolana

Carolana was a huge area of land in early North America. It was meant to be an English colony. This land stretched from what is now North Carolina all the way down to Florida. It included parts of modern-day Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

In 1629, King Charles I of England gave this land to his lawyer, Sir Robert Heath. The King named the area "Carolana" after himself. "Carolus" is the Latin form of "Charles."

Who Owned Carolana?

Sir Robert Heath's Plan

Sir Robert Heath was King Charles I's main lawyer. In 1629, the King gave Heath a special paper called a "patent." This patent gave Heath the right to own and settle the land of Carolana.

The King wanted Heath to help spread Christianity in the New World. He also hoped to increase trade, especially for tobacco. Sir Robert Heath had already explored much of this region. He was also a member of the council for the Virginia Colony.

Heath tried to get French Protestants to move to Carolana. But King Charles I only allowed English people to settle there. He also said only people from the Church of England could go. The land was then sold to different people. They all tried to start lasting colonies, but it was very difficult.

Daniel Coxe Takes Over

Later, in 1698, a doctor named Daniel Coxe bought the rights to Carolana from Sir Robert Heath. Coxe was also a "land speculator." This means he bought land hoping its value would increase. He owned the patent for Carolana until 1730.

In 1719, Coxe had to explain his claim to the land. This happened because English and French leaders were trying to decide on colonial borders. Coxe said the land was still his. However, his colony never actually started.

Daniel Coxe strongly believed that Great Britain should expand its colonies. He wanted them to go west across the Appalachian Mountains. King William III gave Coxe permission to let French Protestants, called Huguenots, settle in the area. These Huguenots were refugees from the French Revolution.

Daniel Coxe's son, Colonel Daniel Coxe Jr., wrote a book about the region. It was called "A Description of the English Province of Carolana."

Carolana on Maps

Carolana is rarely seen on maps today. But there are two old maps that show it. One is the "Mapp of Virginia" from 1651 by John Farrer. The other is "A Map of Carolana and the River Meschacebe." This map was published by Colonel Daniel Coxe Jr.

Why Carolana Failed

The Carolana project did not succeed. It was different from other early colonies like the Massachusetts Bay Colony or the Virginia Colony.

There were several reasons why Carolana failed:

• Lack of Money and Supplies: The people trying to start the colony didn't have enough money or resources.
• Competition: There were other colonies, like Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. Most settlers preferred to go to these more stable places.
• Moving Around: It was hard to get people to stay in Carolana. Settlers often moved from one colony to another if they didn't see quick profits.
• Other Opportunities: At the time, settling in the Caribbean islands seemed more promising than Carolana.
• Religion: Many of the people who wanted to settle were French Protestants. But the English government only wanted people who belonged to the Church of England. This made it hard to find enough settlers.

Carolana also had many different owners over time. This caused confusion about who truly owned the land.

Images for kids

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  Map of Carolana