A brief history of education in the state of North Carolina provides a look at public schools and the individuals who were most instrumental in their development. Chapter 1 focuses on the colonial period when education for the majority of North Carolina students was almost non-existent. Chapter 2 covers the State Constitution adopted in 1776 that included a provision for education but no funding and created citizen dissatisfaction with the educational process. Chapter 3 discusses the Education Act of 1839 and the expansion and progress created for North Carolina public schools. The topic of chapter 4 is the new State Constitution of 1868 that provided for free education for children and the establishment of teacher training institutes. Chapter 5 presents Governor Charles B. Aycock's impact on universal public education in the early 20th century. Chapter 6 explains the halt to progress and prosperity with the Great Depression. As a result of the Great Depression, the School Machinery Act established the county as the basic governmental unit for operating public schools. Chapter 7 discusses the middle years of the 20th century and the impact of the civil rights movement. Chapter 8 describes the modern era expansion and improvement of educational programs. The final chapter summarizes educational reform in the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s. A timeline of important individuals, decisions, and events in North Carolina history juxtaposes the chapter text. A chronology highlights major events in the history of public school education in North Carolina. (CK)