GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1991 SESSION

CHAPTER 85
HOUSE BILL 932

AN ACT TO ADOPT THE CAROLINA TARTAN AS THE OFFICIAL SCOTTISH TARTAN OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, Scottish families began to settle in both North and South Carolina during the last two decades of the seventeenth century; and
Whereas, in the first half of the eighteenth century, large numbers of both Highland Scots and Ulster Scots settled in the two Carolinas; and
Whereas, Scots became major elements of the population of both colonies; and
Whereas, a tartan is a plaid textile design consisting of stripes of varying width and color, each tartan unique to a clan, district, or group; and 
Whereas, St. Andrews Societies are organizations for the celebration of things Scottish; and
Whereas, St. Andrews Societies in North and South Carolina arranged for the design of a Carolina Tartan and cosponsored the effort for adoption of the design by the Scottish Tartans Society, which registered the Carolina Tartan in 1981, and
Whereas, those St. Andrews Societies believe that the Carolina Tartan was the first one successfully advanced for a group of states in the United States, although Canadian provinces had their distinctive tartans; and  
Whereas, since 1981 tartans have been designed for other states; and
Whereas, the Carolina Tartan is a variation of a tartan associated with King Charles II, who gave the grant in 1663 that made Carolina a proprietary colony; and 
Whereas, there is a desire on the part of many North Carolina citizens of Scottish descent to honor their ancestral ties; Now, therefore,    

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 145 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 145-15.  State tartan.
The Carolina Tartan is adopted as the official tartan of the State of North Carolina."

Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 13th day of May, 1991.

─────────────────── 
James C. Gardner
President of the Senate

─────────────────── 
Daniel Blue, Jr.
Speaker of the House of Representatives