150 Year Anniversary of Mecklenburg Declaration PDF Print Email
Written by Ms. Kendall C. Rogers   
Wednesday, September 27, 2017 09:01 AM


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 North Carolina Dames were in the habit of clipping newspaper articles that held historical significance to North Carolina. This article was published May 20, 1925; 150 years after the Mecklenburg declaration of independence was signed.

On May 20, 1775 in Charlotte, NC citizens of Mecklenburg, N.C signed a declaration of independence 13 months and 5 days before the Continental Congress in Philadelphia decided to follow suit. It is asserted by proud North Carolinians to be the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution.

Supposedly the citizens of Mecklenburg were outraged about the shooting down of Captain John Parker’s Minute Men by the British during the Battle of Lexington. They wanted to take action immediately so they did. Professional historians still argue about whether the document is authentic or not.

Many historians believe that the Mecklenburg Declaration was written in 1800 in an attempt to recreate the Mecklenburg Resolves, a collection of radical resolutions that fell just short of an actual declaration of independence.