Mecklenburg Resolves

• 8.H.1.3
• 8.H.2.3

Warm UP Activity

Look at the Flag of North Carolina.

• What do you think the two dates represent? 5 pts 

Copy into your notebook the following notes.

May 20, 1775 notes the date of the Mecklenburg Resolves.  April 12,1776 notes the date of the Halifax Resolves.
Colonists living in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County were concerned when they heard about the battles of Lexington and Concord, as well as Parliament’s declaration that the colonies were in rebellion.

A committee of citizens met on May 20, 1775 in “Charlotte Town” (though some historians argue that the meeting took place on May 21, 1775) and officially declared North Carolina’s independence from Britain. The document declared the Continental Congress in Philadelphia the only legitimate government of America.

Key Ideas of the Mecklenburg Resolves

• The news of Lexington and Concord arrived in Charlotte Town (present-­‐‑day Charlotte) sometime in May 1775.
• On May 31, the Mecklenburg County Committee of Safety adopted these “resolves,” or resolutions, which declared all royal authority to be suspended.
• All acts of king and Parliament had no force in the colonies, and the only legitimate governments in America were the Continental Congress and the provincial congresses.
• Royal officials were to be arrested.
• The resolves laid out a plan for a local government that could keep order.
• Why Mecklenburg? You might wonder why residents of Mecklenburg County were the first to claim their independence from Britain.
• It may be in part because of religion: Until 1800, all churches established in Mecklenburg County were Presbyterian, and the county’s residents were mostly Scotch-­‐‑Irish.
• But only ministers of the Church of England could legally perform marriages, which created problems for people of other faiths.
• Mecklenburgers may have been as eager to declare themselves independent of the English church as they were to get rid of its government.

Click here for the Reading

Assignment   15 pts

1. Why are the dates on the North Carolina flag significant?

May 20, 1775 notes the date of the Mecklenburg Resolves.  April 12,1776 notes the date of the Halifax Resolves.

2. Why were the Mecklenburg Resolves important?

These “resolves,” or resolutions, which declared all royal authority to be suspended. The only legitimate governments in America were the Continental Congress and the provincial congresses. Royal officials were to be arrested. The resolves laid out a plan for a local government that could keep order.

3. Based on the Mecklenburg Resolves, how did North Carolinians feel about Britain’s hold in the colonies?

North Carolina stated the only recognized  Govt. was Continental Congress, Not England's. They wanted independence from England.

Recorded Lesson 10/2/20