John Lawson (1674-1711) was an Englishman who became the first Surveyor-General of North Carolina. He is best known for his book, A New Voyage to Carolina, in which he described the native inhabitants and the natural environment. This book attracted many settlers to North Carolina. State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th) - Land 126,256 km² - Water 13,227 km² (9. ...
Lawson played a role in the founding of New Bern. He was tortured and eventually killed by Tuscarora Indians - some say because they were angry with him for his role in bringing the settlers. New Bern is a city located in Craven County, North Carolina where the Trent River and the Neuse River converge. ... The Tuscarora are a Native American tribe originally in North Carolina, which moved north to New York, and then partially into Canada. ...
The Lords Proprietors wealthy Englishmen appointed by the Crown to govern the settlement of Carolinaassigned JohnLawson to conduct a reconnaissance survey of the interior of the province.
Lawson was active in Bath's political and economic life and that of the county.
Though Lawson claimed that his reason for coming to America involved a desire to travel, there is good reason to believe that he may have been urged or hired to make the trip by James Petiver.