In 1712, North and South Carolina were officially divided. By 1729, there were settlements on each of North Carolina's major river systems. But the biggest settlements, on the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, were a long way from South Carolina's major settlement of Charles Town (Charleston).

Why did North Carolina and South Carolina split into two colonies?

The Lords Proprietors knew Carolina was too big for just one assembly to govern. ... The distance between the two North Carolina settlements and South Carolina's Charles Town caused the Lords Proprietors decide to split the two areas.

When were the Carolinas split into two different colonies?

As the two locales evolved separately and as their differing geographies and inhabitants steered contrasting courses, calls for a formal split emerged. In 1712, North Carolina and South Carolina became distinct colonies.