High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietors. The province later became the U.S. state of North Carolina. King Charles II of England granted the Carolina charter in 1663 for lands south of Virginia Colony and north of Spanish Florida. Because the northern half of the colony differed significantly from the southern half, and because transportation and communication between the two settled regions was difficult, starting in 1691 a separate deputy governor was named to administer the northern half of the colony.