Happy (First in) Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Here's to hoping that you are all spending the day with family and friends and reflecting on the fine qualities on which this country was founded. Of course, here in North Carolina, it's easy to forget that we led the way in this idea of independence. (Don't let anyone tell you different!) 

As a celebration of this day, here are some snippets from some of our forefathers' brilliantly-penned masterpieces. Enjoy the day! And God bless America!


"... That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing Association, under the control of no power other than that of our God and the General Government of the Congress; to the maintenance of which independence, we solemnly pledge to each other, our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor. ..."

-Mecklenburg Declaration of Indpendence, Charlotte, May 20, 1775

"... It appears to your Committee that pursuant to the Plan concerted by the British Ministry for subjugating America, the King and Parliament of Great Britain have usurped a Power over the Persons and Properties of the People unlimited and uncontrouled; and disregarding their humble Petitions for Peace, Liberty and safety, have made divers Legislative Acts, denouncing War Famine and every Species of Calamity against the Continent in General. ...

"Resolved that the delegates for this Colony in the Continental Congress be impowered to concur with the delegates of the other Colonies in declaring Independency, and forming foreign Alliances, reserving to this Colony the Sole, and Exclusive right of forming a Constitution and Laws for this Colony, and of appointing delegates from time to time (under the direction of a general Representation thereof) to meet the delegates of the other Colonies for such purposes as shall be hereafter pointed out."

-Halifax Resolves, April 12, 1776

"... We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ..."

-Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Charlotte Observer: The spirit of the Mecklenburg Declaration lives on

Andy Polk, a legislative aide to Rep. Sue Myrick, wrote this for the Charlotte Observer yesterday.

For those who may not be familiar with our area's origins, May 20th is a day to learn and reflect on our local history.

Thomas Polk was the first to settle Charlotte in 1755. He traveled to North Carolina in search of a place with large tracts of land to settle, and space to raise a family. He stopped at the intersection of present day Trade and Tryon streets, in uptown Charlotte where he purchased the land and built a home. ...

In 1771, local leaders were able to secure a charter for Queens University - what would have been the first college in the area - only to have the king strip the charter in 1773. Citizens in Mecklenburg, like others across the colonies, began hurting from the crippling taxes and harsh laws imposed by the king. Once loyal subjects, newly identified "Americans" began speaking out publicly against this harsh rule.

By 1775, disputes between American colonists and the British were at a tipping point. Thomas Polk, commander of the Mecklenburg militia, called for a council of local leaders to gather at the Mecklenburg courthouse on May 19, 1775, to discuss grievances against the crown. That same day, news arrived in Charlotte that Americans had been killed by British troops at the previous month's battles at Lexington and Concord.

This news spurred the predominantly Scotch-Irish leaders, who already had a long history of fighting British rule, to move beyond debate to action. That night, local leaders drafted and signed a document called the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, fondly known as the "Meck Dec."

At noon on May 20, 1775, Thomas Polk stood at the Mecklenburg Courthouse and read aloud the declaration to the public: "... the citizens of Mecklenburg County do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown..." By this act, Mecklenburg declared itself "a free and independent people," more than a year prior to the Declaration of Independence.

Original copies of the Mecklenburg Declaration were lost in a fire in 1800, causing some historians to question the validity of the document, even while many point to sources such as newspaper articles to prove its existence. As a proud descendant of Thomas Polk, I don't need a document to prove the "Meck Dec" existed. The independent spirit of our local forefathers proves its existence.

It is this spirit and our fierce determination for freedom that caused English General Cornwallis to call Charlotte a "hornet's nest" during the Revolutionary War. It is this same spirit that led us to name our streets "Independence Boulevard" and "Freedom Drive," and a school "Independence High." It is this spirit that moved state leaders to put May 20, 1775, on our state flag, and why it remains there today.

We should be proud of our history and independent spirit, teaching it to our children and to newcomers. Only by knowing where we come from can we know who we are and the great things we are capable of accomplishing as a community. ...