For God, Family and Republic

Many people are familiar with these words of Thomas Jefferson embodied in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

However, fewer are familiar with the Mecklenburg Declaration and that the War for American Independence got its initial start in the Carolina backcountry as well as Massachusetts.

On May 20, 1775, two-hundred and thirty one years ago, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was issued by the people of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (seat of the present-day metropolis city of Charlotte.) The predominantly Scotch-Irish populace of Mecklenburg were declared from that day, May 20, 1775, and by their own hand, no longer subject to the British rule, as they relinquished their consent.

Here is the verbatim text of the Declaration:

The Mecklenburg Declaration
May 20, 1775
1. Resolved... That whosoever directly or indirectly abets, or in any way, form, or manner countenances the invasion of our rights, as attempted by the Parliament of Great Britain, is an enemy to his country, to America, and the rights of man.

2. Resolved... That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us with the mother country, and absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, abjuring all political connection with a nation that has wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed innocent blood of Americans in Lexington.

3. Resolved... That we do hereby Declare ourselves free and independent people; that we are, and of a right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing people under the power of God and the General Congress; to the maintenance which independence we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes and our scared honor.

4. Resolved... That we hereby ordain and adopt as rules of conduct all each of our former laws, and that the crown of Great Britain cannot be considered hereafter as holding any rights, privileges, or immunities among us.

5. Resolved... That all officers, both civil and military, in the country, be entitled to exercise the same powers and authorities as heretofore; that every member of this delegation shall henceforth be civil officer and exercise the powers of a justice of the peace, issue process, hear and determine controversies according to law, preserve peace, union and harmony in the country, and use every exertion to spread the love of liberty and of country until a more general and better organized system of government be established.

6 Resolved... That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia to be laid before that body.

Signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence;

Gen. Thomas Polk —Col.Abraham Alexander
Dr. Ephraim Brevard —Col. Adam Alexander
Gen. Robert Irwin —John McKnitt Alexander
Rev. Hezekiah Balch —Hezekiah Alexander
Capt. Zaccheus Wilson —Neil Morrison
Richard Barry —John Flennikin
William Graham —Matthew McClure
John Queary —Ezra Alexander
Waightstill Avery —Col. William Kennon
Col. James Harris —Henry Downs
John Foard —Charles Alexander
Maj. John Davidson —John Phifer
Benjamin Patton —David Reese
Richard Harris

—Spectators
Gen. Joseph Graham —Gen. George Graham
Rev. Francis Cummings —Col Ezekiel Polk
Robert Harris Sr. —David Rose (Grandfather of Pres. Polk)