Members of the fife and drum corps of the North Carolina Regulars parading at Meck Dec Day, May 20, 1999. Photo courtesy the Charlotte Observer
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Mecklenburg Independence Day Celebration
In 1775, after learning of the Battle of
Lexington, delegates to a Mecklenburg County convention voted
to declare the county independent from Great Britain. The
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was read from the
courthouse steps by Colonel Thomas Polk on May 20, 1775, and
was adopted under the Mecklenburg Resolves on May 31. "Meck
Dec Day", as it is now affectionately known, has been
celebrated in the county seat of Charlotte ever since, with
some exceptions during periods such as the Civil War and
Reconstruction. Special anniversaries have frequently been on
a grand scale, with parades, fireworks, dinners, balls, firing
of guns, and prominent speakers such as Presidents Taft,
Wilson, Eisenhower, and Ford.
After more than a decade of quiet observances, in
1996 the Mecklenburg Historical Association initiated a public
ceremony that recreated aspects of the 19th-century celebrations
with speeches by local politicians and firing of muskets by
costumed re-enactors. A fife and drum corps, a public procession,
and a wreath-laying ceremony were added in 1998 and 1999. May 20,
2000, will mark the 225th anniversary of the event, reflecting the
county's long history of patriotism.
Originally submitted by: Melvin L. Watt, Representative (12th District).
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