A Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina and its people. The term "Tar Heel" dates back to North Carolinas early history when the state was a leading producer of supplies for the naval industry. Workers who distilled turpentine from the sticky sap of pine trees and burned pine boughs to produce tar and pitch often went barefoot during hot summer months and undoubtedly collected tar on their heels. To call someone a "rosin heel" or "tar heel" was to imply that they worked in a lowly trade. During the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers flipped the meaning of the term and turned an epithet into an accolade. They called themselves "Tar Heels" as an expression of state pride. Others adopted the term, and North Carolina became widely known as the "Tar Heel State". The University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans are also known as the Tar Heels.