"In the past few decades North Carolina has witnessed remarkable growth in economic development and political importance, and it now ranks as the ninth most populous state in the Union. Milton Ready's The Tar Heel State: A New History of North Carolina, Revised Edition constitutes the most comprehensive, up-to-date, single-volume chronicle of the state's storied past, culminating in a thorough review of recent events that have transformed North Carolina into a southern megastate. An engaging storyteller, Ready integrates tales of famous pioneers, statesmen, soldiers, farmers, captains of industry, activists, and community leaders with more marginalized voices, including those of Native Americans, African Americans, and women to provide a full range of colorful personalities and perspectives from its scenic coast through tobacco road and the Piedmont to the glorious mountain region. This revised edition includes nearly 100 illustrations and a frank analysis of North Carolina's political, racial, and environmental challenges in the decade ahead"--