Today, the North Carolina State Quarter Coin remembers the brave individuals of Mecklenburg County that met and agreed to independence from British rule in May of 1775.
Different versions of their “declaration of independence” exist, however the May 20, 1775 version has the most historical support.
The Southern Literary Messenger of June 1839 included an article describing the history and comparing two versions, one of which was the May 20th document:
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MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
THE QUESTION SETTLED.
When in the year 1819, it was first announced to the American public, by the editor of the Raleigh Register, that the people of Mecklenburg in North Carolina, had actually declared themselves independent of Great Britain, in May, 1775, the fact was deemed highly improbable by many, and among others by Mr. Jefferson, because, according to the best contemporary accounts, independence had not yet become the aim, or even the wish of the colonies; and because, also, it was thought that an act so much in advance of public opinion, would scarcely have escaped notice and honorable mention, when their early suggestion came to be subsequently adopted.
Mr. Jefferson, having in his correspondence with his friend Mr. Adams, expressed the opinion, that the paper published as the “Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence,” was not genuine, the legislature of North Carolina, soon after the publication of that correspondence, authorized the governor of the State to collect and publish evidence to establish its authenticity.
This was accordingly done; and it appeared by the document thus given to the public, that resolutions of the character alleged, had been adopted by the people of Mecklenburg, in May, 1775, that the copy which had been published had been found, in manuscript, among the papers of General Davie, and that their authenticity was confirmed by the recollections of several respectable contemporary witnesses.
Before the publication of this testimony, there had been a very prevalent tradition in North Carolina, that some resolutions had been adopted in Mecklenburg in 1775, of an unusually bold character, and the proclamation of the royal Governor, which had been preserved in Almon’s Remembrancer, expressly referred to those resolutions, among various other “seditious and treasonable acts,” in the Province of North Carolina.
While the Governor’s pamphlet proved the tradition to have been well founded, it did not entirely remove the difficulty.
The close coincidence between some passages in the Mecklenburg paper and the declaration of national independence of the 4th of July, 1776, was too remarkable to be attributed to accident, and some were therefore inclined to doubt the genuineness of the particular resolutions, rather than believe that Mr. Jefferson had been guilty of a plagiarism from a paper, of such humble pretensions, or being guilty, should have escaped detection by his contemporaries.
On the other hand, the latter alternative was eagerly seized by Mr. Jefferson’s enemies, and their wishes, no doubt, contributed to bias their judgments, and inclined them to the belief that the paper was genuine, and that Mr. Jefferson had been its copyist.
This question is now put to rest—thanks to the antiquarian researches of Mr. Peter Force of Washington.
He has been fortunate enough to procure a newspaper, printed in 1775, which contains a copy of the Mecklenburg resolutions, and which have a claim to authenticity, that the written copy found among the papers of General Davie cannot boast, however supported by the distant and fallible recollections of the best intentioned witnesses.
To enable the reader to see the disagreement between the two copies, they are here placed in juxtaposition.
The printed copy is dated May 31, and is published in a paper dated July 12, 1775; and the written copy, May 20.
MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 20th of May, 1775.
That whosoever directly or indirectly abets, or in any way, form, or manner, countenances the unchartered and dangerous invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this county, to America, and to the inherent and unalienable rights of man.
That we, the citizens of Mecklenburg county, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us with the mother country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British crown, and abjure all political connection, contract, or association with that nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties, and inhumanly shed the blood of American patriots at Lexington.
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 co-operation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.
That as we acknowledge the existence and control of no law nor legal officer, civil or military, within this county, we do hereby ordain and adopt as a rule of life, all, each, and every of our former laws; wherein, nevertheless, the crown of Great Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.
That it is further decreed, that all, each, and every military officer in this county, is hereby reinstated in his former command and authority, he acting conformably to these regulations.
And that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a justice of the peace, in the character of a committee-man, to issue process, hear, and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted laws; and to preserve peace, union, and harmony in said county; and to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and organized government be established in this province.
CHARLOTTE TOWN, MECKLENBURG COUNTY. May, 31, 1775.
This day the committee met, and passed the following resolves:
WHEREAS, by an address presented to his majesty, by both Houses of Parliament, in February last, the American colonies are declared to be in a state of actual rebellion, we conceive that all laws and commissions confirmed by, or derived from, the authority of the King or Parliament, are annulled and vacated, and the former civil constitution of these colonies, for the present, wholly suspended.
To provide in some degree for the exigencies of this county, in the present alarming period, we deem it proper and necessary to pass the following resolves, viz:
- That all commissions, civil and military, heretofore granted by the crown, to be exercised in these colonies, are null and void, and the constitution of each particular colony, wholly suspended.
- That the provincial congress of each province, under the direction of the great continental congress, is invested with all the legislative and executive powers within their respective provinces; and that no other legislative and executive power does or can exist, at this time, in any of these colonies.
- As all former laws are now wholly suspended in this province, and the congress have not yet provided others, we judge it necessary, for the better preservation of good order, to form certain rules and regulations for the internal government of this county, until laws shall be provided for us by Congress.
- That the inhabitants of this county do meet on a certain day appointed by this committee, and, having formed themselves into nine companies, vis. eight in the county and one in the town of Charlotte, do choose a colonel and other military officers, who shall hold and exercise their several powers by virtue of this choice, and independent of the crown of Great Britain and former constitution of this province.
The production of a printed copy of these resolutions, in a paper published six weeks after they were passed, thus furnishing that highest testimony of their existence which the skeptical called for, and which has so well justified a part of their doubts, may be considered now to have established the following points, beyond room for cavil or doubt.
First. The people of the county of Mecklenburg in North Carolina, did, as early as May, 1775, pass patriotic resolutions, which showed then a determined spirit of resistance to oppression, and which procured for them the honor of being denounced as traitors by a royal governor.
Secondly. They were not so much in advance of their countrymen in the other provinces and in their own, as the resolutions previously published seemed to imply ; for they do not speak of dissolving the political bands, which had connected them with the British government, but merely propose a temporary or provisional government so long as they were declared in a state of rebellion.
Both in the preamble and in the three first resolutions, they regard the British authority as merely “suspended,” not annihilated.
The last resolution, is merely a consummation of their purpose previously declared.
Thirdly and lastly. This genuine copy completely acquits Mr. Jefferson of the improbable charge of plagiarism, which party zealots first industriously propagated, and careless reasoners too readily admitted.
It does not contain a single expression or phrase which is to be found in the declaration of independence, adopted by Congress.
The spurious copy contained several, which are here printed in italics, and which from the first, led many to doubt its authenticity.
The questions to which these Mecklenburg resolutions have given rise, and which may be ascribed partly to the interest with which we view whatsoever is in any way connected with the revolution, and partly to the avidity with which party-vindictiveness finds aliment in everything, may thus be considered to be permanently settled.
Requiescat in pace.
INVESTIGATOR.
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The North Carolina State Quarter Coin shows with an image of a certificate showing a version of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, circa 1877.
