Background:
After five years of researching inquiries to www.senclewises.com, a genealogy website focusing on six Lewis families in Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina, there was so much material collected—from books, maps, pamphlets, and the Internet—it became rather obvious that a new website was needed to provide more accurate historical information pertaining to the two states.
By 2004, the Internet was beginning to contain very useful and accurate information. However, it also contained a lot of inaccurate information. To resolve these issues, “Carolana” was created to host the most-accurate historical information about the two states—North Carolina and South Carolina.
This website was originally envisioned to mostly provide historical information for each county, from county inception to present day, and to make this information available to the general public totally free—and without any pop-ups or other advertisements. Each county would have a primary page, with links to sub-topics, first the legislative Act establishing the county, then the evolution of the county per decade. Towns were added next. These two efforts required the acquisition of hundreds of maps, books, and pamphlets, mostly to ascertain which sources were reliable.
As the website grew, more and more details were added, starting with State government information, including all governors, members of the legislature, and those in the judicial branch. Then, those elected to the U.S. Congress were identified and provided. Next came the American Revolution in both states. Six years of detailed research.
As a “work in progress,” this website continues to grow, with new web pages added almost daily. It took four years to provide accurate details of the Civil War in North Carolina. South Carolina will take five years to sort out. What’s next? Stay tuned.
The Collection:
Most Americans are not aware that the original colony was chartered in 1629 by English King Charles I and he named it Carolana, at that time the Latin version of his name. He gave this charter to his Attorney General, Sir Robert Heath, who proceeded to do virtually nothing. King Charles I was executed in 1649, ending the English Civil War, and Parliament took over the country. King Charles II was restored to the crown in 1660, and in 1663 he renamed this colony to Carolina, the “new and improved” Latin version of Charles.
This collection allows the user to explore the people, places, timelines, artifacts and major events of interest that led to the rise of the Carolana region and its subsequent split into what we know today as North and South Carolina.
The website currently includes the most detailed historical information about the formation of Carolina, splitting the colony in two, and the evolution of a single colony into two distinct colonies, then the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The Royal Period is very detailed and includes governors, legislators, judges, counties, roads, waterways, maps, and relevant images. It is not a “fancy schmancy” website. Its purpose is to inform, and to be useful in aiding research by others.
How To Explore The Collection:
The details about the American Revolution in both Carolinas in this website can be overwhelming. If one were to print out the entire website, it would include well over 30,000 pages, mostly information found nowhere else online. Some “pay sites” have more information on a certain topic, but overall, none come close to this website in totality of content.
The collection is divided into three sections: The Carolana Section, The North Carolina Section and the South Carolina section. Visitors can explore information on the Carolinas region prior to 1729 by following the combined Carolana icon. Visitors can explore information about South Carolina from 1729 onward by following the South Carolina icon and can also explore information about North Carolina from 1729 onward by following the icons located on all major pages as wayfinding points.
About The Donors:
J.D. Lewis is an avid amateur historian and genealogist in general, but specifically focused on the Carolinas. Born and raised in North Carolina, he left and has lived all over the country, then moved back to South Carolina in 1991.
Constantly amazed at how different the two states are, he strived for over a decade to figure it out – therefore, the Carolana website is one result of that long-standing curiosity. His Lewis family genealogical website is the second result.
J.D. worked on some of the country’s largest projects, first in the Nuclear Power industry, then the Petrochemical Industry, and finally the Aerospace & Defense industry.
J.D. has given many heavily tailored presentations to the Francis Marion Symposium, the Georgetown County Historical Society, and the Cape Fear Revolutionary War Round Table among many others. He has published two large histories – “My Neck of the Woods,” about the Lewis families at the NC/SC border along the coast; and “NC Patriots 1775-1783, Their Own Words,” a 3-volume set with over 2,700 pages about the American Revolution in North Carolina.
