Charlotte Tutors

About Charlotte

Across the border from South Carolina and just east of the Catawba River, Charlotte is a major commercial center and the largest city in the state of North Carolina. Identified in their native language as “People of the River” the Catawba Native Americans occupied the land that would become Charlotte when the first Europeans explored the Carolinas in the 16th century. Numbered at about 10,000 before European contact, the Catawba dwindled to under 200 by the early 1800’s, mostly the victims of smallpox. Fortunately, the Catawba have made a comeback in recent years and their numbers have risen to over 3,000. Settled by mostly Scottish and Irish immigrants in the middle of the 1700’s, Charlotte was named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the city is the seat of Mecklenburg County), the wife of the infamous (at least in American eyes) King George III. Charlotte was born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a small duchy in what was then the Holy Roman Empire but would later be part of northern Germany when that country unified in 1871. Charlotte married George when she was 17-years old and served as consort (spouse of the monarch) for 57 years. Only the current consort, Prince Phillip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has served longer. Charlotte lived through several significant historical events including her husband’s waging of the American Revolution, his temporary insanity (see the excellent movie The Madness of King George) and palace intrigue involving her son, the future George IV. Originally called Charlotte Town, the city was a hotbed of rebel sympathizers during the Revolutionary War, prompting British General Cornwallis to label the town “a hornet’s nest of the rebellion.” For most of its earliest history, Charlotte remained small until it became a major cotton processing center and railroad hub in the years after the Civil War. More growth occurred during World War I with the establishment of a military base. Many of those military families stayed and Charlotte’s population has steadily increased ever since. Between 1990 and 2016 the city more than doubled its population.

It’s likely that a Charlotte tutor can assist you with your most demanding academic subjects so you can take a break from the books to enjoy the many exciting things to do in the big city. For automobile racing enthusiasts, Charlotte is home to the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Hall of Fame which honors the best in stock car racing over the last one hundred years. Highlights of the hall include the “Glory Road” exhibit featuring historic race cars, tracks and iconic drivers. The 278-seat High Octane Theater shows visitors an entertaining documentary on the history of NASCAR from the first races at Daytona to the present day. Opened in 2010, the hall includes 45 official inductees, mostly drivers with the late Dale Earnhardt part of the initial inaugural class.

For kids and adults alike, Carowinds is a 398-acre amusement park on the southwestern edge of Charlotte. Opened in 1973, the park features eight themed areas such as Celebration Plaza, home to the 262-foot tall Carolina Skytower which affords visitors spectacular views of the park and the city. Inspired by racing hero Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator roller coaster reaches speeds up to 75 mph. Other thrill rides throughout the park include the Carolina Cyclone, a steel roller coaster with two vertical loops, Carolina Goldrusher, Vortex, SlingShot and The Flying Cobras, a forwards and backwards roller coaster with a vertical loop.

Like most major cities, Charlotte has several popular professional sports teams. The Carolina Panthers are one of the youngest teams in the National Football League and play in Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers became part of the NFL in 1995. In 2003 and 2015 they played in the Super Bowl. The Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association play their home games in the Spectrum Center not far from the Panthers stadium in Charlotte’s Fourth Ward neighborhood.