Since the 1970s, North Carolina has grown far more diverse than ever before. The state has also become more integrated with the rest of the nation and the world. Traditional industries have declined, while new ones have grown up. The political landscape has changed, as the Republican Party became a major factor in the state for the first time since the 19th century. The natural environment, both as something to be protected and as a source of danger, has increasingly demanded attention.

Designed for secondary students, part eleven of our web-based resource combines primary sources with articles from a variety of perspectives, maps, photographs, and audio recordings to tell the many stories of recent North Carolina:

• the personalities, issues, and broad changes in the state’s politics
• North Carolina’s role in a changing nation and world
• the rise of new industries and changes in old ones
• struggles to protect the state’s environment
• the impact of Hurricane Floyd
• the state’s growing diversity

Chapter Content

• Introduction
• From Carter to G.W. Bush: U.S. Politics of the Turn of the 20th Century
• Politics, Personalities, and Issues
• The Changing Economy
• The Environment
• Hurricane Floyd
• New North Carolinians