Each volume of this landmark series begins with a thorough introduction setting the historical context for the group of documents contained therein. An expansive index completed each volume. Includes much material not printed in the first Colonial Records series.

In North Carolina's proprietary period (1663-1729), the primary means of acquiring land was by headright. A free person was allowed to claim a specified amount of land for each person, including himself/herself, that he/she transported into the colony for the purpose of settlement. While the amount of land attached to a headright varied throughout the era, the most common amount was fifty acres.