what is a tar heal?

Question

I've seen the goat or ram but I still don't see a connection

I like that answer, but where did you find that information?

Answer 1

The exact etymology of the nickname is unknown, but most experts believe its roots come from the fact that tar, pitch and turpentine created from the vast pine forests were one of North Carolina's most important exports early in the state's history.

In its early years as a colony, North Carolina settlements became an important source of tar and pitch, especially for the English navy. At one time, an estimated 100,000 barrels of tar and pitch were shipped annually to England.

At the time, tar was created by piling up pine logs and burning them until hot oil seeped out from a canal. The vast production of tar from North Carolina led many, including Walt Whitman, to give the derisive nickname of "Tarboilers" to the to residents of North Carolina. North Carolina was nicknamed the "Tar and Turpentine State" because of this industry.

Somehow, these terms evolved until the nickname Tar Heel was used to refer to residents of North Carolina and gained prominence during the American Civil War. For awhile during and after the civil war, the nickname Tar Heel was still used as an insult, similar to how the nickname white trash is used today, but starting in 1864, the term began to be used as a source of pride.

In 1893, the students of the University of North Carolina founded a newspaper and christened it The Tar Heel, which was later renamed The Daily Tar Heel. By the early 1900s the term was embraced by many as a non-derisive term for North Carolinians by those from and outside the state of North Carolina.

River fording by General Cornwallis

According to this legend, the troops of British General Cornwallis during the American Revolutionary War were fording what is now known as the Tar River between Rocky Mount and Battleboro when they discovered that tar had been dumped into the stream to impede the crossing of British soldiers. When they finally got across the river, they found their feet completely black with tar. Thus, the soldiers observed that anyone who waded through North Carolina rivers would acquire "tar heels."

Ability to hold ground

In the third volume of Walter Clark's Histories of the Several Regiments from North Carolina in the Great War, the author explains that the nickname came from the North Carolina troops ability to hold their ground during a battle. According to the book, North Carolina troops held their ground during a battle in Virginia during the American Civil War while other supporting troops retreated. After the battle, supporting troops asked the victorious North Carolinians: "Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?" and they replied: "No, not a bit; old Jeff's bought it all up." The supporting troops continued: "Is that so? What is he going to do with it?" The North Carolinian troops' response: "He is going to put it on you'ns heels to make you stick better in the next fight."

Answer 2

Back during the Civil war, the military division from North Carolina was involved in a battle. The general that was leading them said that that fought great and noone ran away, they must have stuck tar to their heels because noone ran away. Hearing this the president remarked god bless the tar heeled boys. since then North Carolina has been known as the Tarheel state.

Answer 3

THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN.