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About the May 20th Society

The May 20th Society is a non-profit §501(c)(3) organization that endeavors to capture and celebrate Charlotte’s rebellious and visionary spirit. We hope to define our City’s future by heralding its rich history—a history that changed forever on May 20, 1775, when militia leaders signed and finalized The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. This courageous act of patriotism is believed to have preceded the nation’s Declaration by over a full year and established a precedent of leadership that has continued to define our City for over 230 years. Though the original MecDec was destroyed in a fire over 200 years ago and it is believed lost forever, the Spirit of MecDec lives on.

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are unique places not because of geography, but because of our people and our never-ending desire for personal freedoms. This passion resulted in our becoming the origin of the American Revolution, the hub of the fight for civil rights, an incubator of modern invention, the center of world-class banking, and the home of the largest energy provider in the nation—a community that has always demanded to go wherever our dreams take us. The symbol of this spirit is the MecDec—signed by citizens who, under threat of death, demanded freedom in business, religion, and their personal lives.