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North Carolina Ports: A Search For Identity, Clifford S. Sharpe

Theses and Major Papers

North Carolina's development in colonial times and in the early stages of statehood was greatly affected by her coastline. An abundant coastline did not translate into an abundance of good ports, in fact, difficult coastal and inland navigation hampered early commercial development. North Carolina's barrier islands and numerous inlets served as a haven for pirates in colonial days, for privateers during the Revolution, and later defied the North's blockade during the Civil War. There were several attempts by individuals to encourage maritime trade in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Shortly after World War II the state mobilized to …