Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

You are here

Home

All About the Declaration

All About the Declaration

Talk of freedom from British rule was prevalent in Mecklenburg County in the spring of 1775. A committee of citizens drew up a document known as the Mecklenburg Resolves on May 31, 1775. They reorganized their local government and declared themselves "independent of the Crown of Great Britain." This document was published in the North Carolina Gazette in New Bern on June 16, 1775.

Date of Event:
1775-05-20

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence - The Document

The Meck. Dec. Document

According to legend, the original Mecklenburg Declaration of Independencewas signed by more than twenty-five prominent citizens of Mecklenburg County on May 20, 1775.

There is no original copy of this document because it is alleged to have been burned in a fire shortly after its signing. However, others believe the loss in a fire was a misinterpretation of an historical event when John McKnitt Alexander's home burned.

Date of Event: