About the May 20th Society

The May 20th Society Mission

The May 20th Society promotes Charlotte’s rich history of being the first to declare independence from Great Britain in the American colonies. On May 20th, 1775, more than two dozen colonial civic leaders from Mecklenburg County approved and unanimously adopted the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, more commonly known as the “MecDec”. The May 20th Society is a non-profit organization that celebrates the MecDec through hosting and sponsoring events, an annual speaker series featuring world renowned historians, and educational outreach.  

The May 20th Society in the Community

The May 20th Society is involved with the following community projects:

• We are constructing the statue of Capt. James Jack on the Sugar Creek Greenway.
• Our annual speaker series has featured Michael Beschloss and David McCullough.
• On May 20th, 2008 we will welcome renowned historical documentary filmmaker Ken Burns as our guest lecturer for our third annual Speaker Series.
• Each year our speakers also address CMS schoolchildren at The May 20th Society Youth Lecture Series an effort to educate them on Charlotte history.
• We host an annual MecDec noon observance commemoration for the general public on Charlotte’s Independence Square.
• The May 20th Society sponsored the planting of the Liberty Tree in Freedom Park.
• Our revolutionary float showcased Charlotte’s rich history in the Thanksgiving Day parade through Uptown Charlotte.
• The May 20th Society supports the arts in the community, participating in events such as the CPCC Arts Fest.
• The May 20th Society supports and works with historic and resource groups across the region and partners with a host of talented colonial re-enactors for our events. Rosedale Plantation, the Charlotte History Museum, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Libraries are just a few places we count as partners in bringing the story of the MecDec to the community.
• The May 20th Society proudly sponsors the James Jack Bike Ride to commemorate Captain Jack's historic ride from Charlotte to Philadelphia.

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.