When did the North Carolina Legislature charter the first land grant college?

• A. March 7, 1887
• B. March 7, 1886
• C. June 15, 1877
• D. January 12, 1895

Answer: (A)

The date being tested is when the state formally created, by charter, its first land-grant college. A charter is the legal act that establishes a college and sets its purpose under law, not the day classes start. On March 7, 1887, the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, the institution that would later evolve into NC A&T State University. This date marks the official creation of the land-grant college under the Morrill Act framework, signaling the state’s commitment to providing practical education in agriculture and the mechanical arts. The other dates reflect later moments in the college’s history (opening, subsequent actions, etc.) and do not denote the act of establishment by charter.