North Carolina: Polity Style: 1776-2025

4 Jul 1776	the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed free and independent states in accordance with a declaration approved at the session of the Congress held on 4 Jul 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Continental Congress Journals, 5:510-515)
1 Aug 1776	the Declaration of Independence, approved by the Continental Congress, is proclaimed at a public ceremony held in Halifax on 1 Aug 1776 (North Carolia Colonial Records, 10:688; Jones' Defence of North Carolina, pp. 268-269) [1]
1 Aug 1776 -	State of North Carolina [2]
24 Apr 1778	the delegates of North Carolina to the Continental Congress are authorized to ratify and confirm the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union in accordance with a resolution passed by the General Assembly of North Carolina (House of Commons on 24 Apr 1778, concurred in by the Senate on 24 Apr 1778) (North Carolina State Records, 12:708-709, 12:599; Continental Congress Journals, 11:669)
21 Jul 1778	the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union are signed and ratified by the delegates of North Carolina at the session of the Continental Congress held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 24 Apr 1778 (Continental Congress Journals, 11:709)
1 Mar 1781	North Carolina formed part of the United States upon the taking effect of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (Continental Congress Journals, 19:213-223)
20 May 1861	North Carolina seceded from the United States in accordance with an ordinance passed by the Convention of the People of the State of North Carolina on 20 May 1861 (North Carolina Ordinances 1861, p. 3; North Carolina Convention 1861-1862, pp. 13-16) [3]
27 May 1861	North Carolina is admitted to the Confederate States of America in accordance with an act passed by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States on 16 May 1861 and signed into law on 17 May 1861 (effective on the date when the proclamation concerning the ratification of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States by North Carolina was issued by the President of the Confederate States on 27 May 1861) (Confederate Statutes at Large, pp. 118-119; Weekly Standard, Raleigh, N.C., No. 23, 5 Jun 1861, p. 3)
7 Oct 1865	the ordinance of secession of 1861 is declared null and void in accordance with an ordinance passed by the Convention on 7 Oct 1865 (North Carolina Convention 1865, p. 27; North Carolina Ordinances 1865, p. 39)
4 Jul 1868	North Carolina is re-admitted to representation in the Congress of the United States in accordance with an act passed by the Congress of the United States (House of Representatives on 14 May 1868; Senate on 10 Jun 1868 with amendments; the amendments were concurred in by the House on 12 Jun 1868; vetoed by the President of the United States on 25 Jun 1868; the veto was overridden by the House of Representatives and by the Senate on 25 Jun 1868), took effect in North Carolina upon the passage of a resolution approving the Amendment XIV to the Constitution of the Unites States by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina on 2 Jul 1868 (ratified on 4 Jul 1868) (Statutes at Large, 15:73, 15:703-704) [4]

At its meeting on 27 Jul 1776, the Council of Safety appointed 1 Aug 1776 as the date for the public proclamation of the Declaration of Independence at the Court House in Halifax. Jones recounts the details of the ceremony as reported by an eyewitness, though he cites no additional sources.
The formal change in the polity style was never implemented. The resolves approved by the Council of Safety (in session: 5 Jun 1776 - 25 Oct 1776) normally referred to "province" and, sometimes, "colony" before 4 Jul 1776, and to "(Independent) State of North Carolina" after 4 Jul 1776. The Constitution or Form of Government, approved by the Congress 18 Dec 1776, did not explicitly change the name to the State of North Carolina, but included these words in the description of the Great Seal (Section XVII) and required that all commissions and grants should be run in the name of the State of North Carolina (Section XXXVI).
Full title: An Ordinance to dissolve the union between the State of North Carolina and the other States united with her, under the compact of government entitled The Constitution of the United States.
Full title: An Act to Admit the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, to Representation in Congress.