CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On May 20, Charlotte celebrates the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, also known as Meck Dec.
Local folklore claims it was signed on May 20, 1775, a full year before the Declaration of Independence, which would suggest Charlotte was America's birthplace, not Philadelphia.
The Question
Was the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence a real thing?
The Answer
Historians say there's no documented evidence of the "Meck Dec."
Charlotte folklore claims a group of patriots in Charlotte was fed up with British rule and crafted the declaration on May 20, 1775, more than a year before Congress would write the Declaration of Independence. A well-known statue stands outside of Uptown Charlotte depicting Capt. James Jack as he carried the document to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
"There's no mention of it in the Continental Congress," Angel Johnston, an education specialist at the Charlotte Museum of History, said. "A lot of people think it's a fraud, Thomas Jefferson thought it was a hoax."
Still, historians say Charlotte can claim an important part in the fight for independence. There are other verified documents that show local leaders were working to break away from the British.
"There are surviving letters from the royal governor of North Carolina saying, 'these people in Mecklenburg County are crazy, look what they're doing.' So we know for sure that that happened and that the folks here are wanting to not be under British rule," Johnston said.
However, no such documents exist for the Meck Dec. Historic accounts claim they burned in a house fire in the early 1800s. Like any mythological legend, there's always hope historians will find proof one day.
"People are looking for it, and maybe in 10 years we'll have more evidence, but right now there's not concrete evidence that supports its existence," Johnston said.
Contact Ben Thompson at bthompson@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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