NORTH CAROLINA
This was the first official act of any state in declaring independence from England. On July 4th---almost 3 months later---Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. But North Carolina had taken the first official step.
Between 1929 and 1974, the State of North Carolina forcibly sterilized over 7000 people who the state officials decided were too “defective” to be allowed to bear children. Almost all were poor and/or Black. Actually North Carolina was no worse than any of the other 32 states that had programs of forced sterilization. However, this quotation sets North Carolina apart and a step above the others. It is the only state which has not only officially apologized, but in 2012 awarded $50,000 to each victim of the policy who was still living.
North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ (listen)) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. North Carolina is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the 50 United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,569,213 in 2018, is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 23rd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state, with an estimated population of 2,079,687 in 2019, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.
