History
Chapter History
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Chapter, NSDAR, was organized in North Carolina on February 22, 1912, with 35 charter members. The name was chosen in commemoration of the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence at Charlotte. Original members were required to be a lineal descendant of the signers of the historic Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. This requirement ended in 1958. In the early days, this chapter was known informally as the “Signers’ Chapter.”
Photo courtesy of artist Chas Fagan
The Spirit of Mecklenburg
This statue portrays the
ride of Captain James Jack
to deliver the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence
to the Continental Congress
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence―announcing North Carolina’s freedom from England―preceded the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence, by more than a year. The original copy of the Mecklenburg Declaration was in the possession of John McKnitt Alexander, Secretary of the State Convention. In April 1800, Alexander’s home, Alexandriana (near Huntersville, North Carolina), was destroyed by fire along with the original copy of the declaration. The current copy of the declaration was composed from memory by Alexander after the fire.
Due to the fact that the original document was destroyed, the Mecklenburg Declaration is one of the nation’s most controversial documents. However, the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence has been accepted in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina. The State Convention of 1861, placed the date, May 20, 1775, on the state flag and seal in honor of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. It is without doubt a cornerstone of the fierce North Carolina pride for independence and patriotism.
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