A presentation on th Mecklenburg Declaration and Resolves

1. The Mecklenburg Resolves-May 31,1775 Dr. Lee and Lauren Ward

2. What were the Mecklenburg Resolves? The Mecklenburg Resolves were a set of radical resolutions passed on May 31, 1775, that fell short of an actual declaration of independence. According to North Carolinian lore, some citizens gathered in Charlotte on May 20, 1775 and signed a Declaration of Independence from Britain after hearing of the Battle of Lexington.

3. What did the document say? The document proclaimed that all laws originating from the king or Parliament are null and void and that the only legitimate government over the American colonies is the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia.

4. Where are they now? Documentary evidence of this event, however, is lacking. The story was popularized in later years by some old-timers who claimed to have been signatories. The document itself was alleged to have burned in a fire in 1800, but the date of the event was memorialized on the state seal.

5. Did the Mecklenburg Resolves exist? Historians believe that the Mecklenburg Declaration was written in 1800 in an attempt to recreate the Mecklenburg Resolves from memory. According to this theory, the author of the Mecklenburg Declaration mistakenly believed that the Resolves had been a declaration of independence, and so he recreated the Resolves with language borrowed from the United States Declaration of Independence Defenders of the Mecklenburg Declaration have argued that both the Mecklenburg Declaration and the Mecklenburg Resolves are authentic.

6. Conclusion Regardless of whether the Mecklenburg Resolves actually existed or not, the historical record does support a later meeting on May 31, 1775 in which the Mecklenburg Committee of Safety adopted a series of resolutions. Known as the Mecklenburg Resolves or the Charlotte Town Resolves, they provided for the following: All laws originating from the king or Parliament were voided The actions of royal military and civil officials was suspended A call was put out to the other colonies to begin governing themselves through provincial congresses Royal officials who continued in their duties in North Carolina were to be arrested.

7. Whose side are you on anyway? The class will be split into two large groups. One group will argue the American side, while the other will argue the British side. The two groups will research and find evidence to support their cause. Each group should present reasons why their opinion is best. The class will then debate the merits of their side.