This is the day that Charlotte again celebrates its 1775 Declaration of Independence. Several years ago I spent several days researching this topic as background for my article on the Tryon County "Association" of later in 1775, a document which Uncle Jacob Costner and various other uncles (including Dellingers) risked their lives by signing. I also have Jim Webb's great BORN FIGHTING much on my mind. Nobody explains better the way the North colonized the south after the Civil War than Webb, and reading Webb you understand how Northern historians made Charlotte doubt and finally reject its own history. Well, Scott Syfert has been heroic in opening up the whole MecDec issue, and his book has coincided with the availability of more newspaper databases which are showing early 1800 allusions to the Declaration. What people don't realize is that when you have no state newspapers at all for many years after the Revolution the sort of normal evidence you would expect is simply not there. But if you work with the people of Charlotte in the Revolution, as I have continued to do, you understand the historical factuality of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Scott Syfert, have fun today. Charlotte needs to celebrate joyously.
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