- The North Carolina colony was originally claimed by Sir Walter Raleigh and granted to eight men through a charter in 1663, which gave them control over the Carolina territory. - Early governance was controlled by Lords Proprietors who established a government system with a governor, council, and elected assembly, though colonists could only elect assembly members and governors were often harsh. - Dissatisfaction with taxes led to rebellions like the Culpeper Rebellion in 1677 and the Cary Rebellion in the early 1700s over religious freedom, which divided colonists and led the colony to split into North and South Carolina in 1712.