May 20 isn’t just for Meck Dec Day in Charlotte

Below is a list of important Charlotte events that happened on May 20, compiled by Kay Peninger, president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History. If you enjoy these check out the Meck Dec Day events this weekend around town and at the Museum:

1670 – Lederer expedition

May 20, 1670 – July 18, 1670  

The first expedition of a European through the Piedmont region was by German explorer John Lederer. That expedition launched on May 20 of 1670, almost a century prior to the founding of Charlotte in 1768.  

1775 – Mecklenburg Dec of Independence adopted

As you hopefully are aware, the Meck Dec is a controversial document that was signed by the early leaders of Charlotte that declared their independence from British rule. If the legend is true, this would mean these Charlotteans were the first colonists to do so. I really hope this blurb isn’t the first you’re hearing about this.

1861 – North Carolina secedes from Union

In Raleigh the North Carolina legislature voted unanimously to secede from the United States on May 20, 1861, making them the last Southern state to join the Confederacy. North Carolina would ultimately lose more soldiers in the Civil War than any other Southern state.

1867 – Republican Party organized in Mecklenburg County

Focused on securing political rights for ex-slaves, the Republican Party of North Carolina “developed into the most broadly based and successful Republican Party in the South.” On May 20, 1867, two months after the formation of the Republican Party of North Carolina, the Colored Union League (a collective of secret societies that organized black voters) formed a procession half a mile long to Tryon Street as part of the formation of Mecklenburg County’s Republican Party.

1891 – The original Charlotte Streetcar begins operation and the Dilworth suburb is born

On May 20, 1891 the Charlotte streetcar began operations that ran from Uptown, down Tryon Street, Morehead Street, South Boulevard, and East Boulevard to the heart of a brand new suburb at the site of the municipal fairgrounds just south of the city. This suburb was dubbed Dilworth after local developer Edward Dilworth Latta.

1963 – Reginald Hawkins leads march calling for desegregation of Charlotte restaurants 

This story deserves much more than a short paragraph here, but on May 20, 1963, local dentist and civil rights activist Dr. Reginald Hawkins and a group of Chamber of Commerce members led a march from Johnson C. Smith University to the Mecklenburg County courthouse. The march was a call for the desegregation of Charlotte’s restaurants. The partnership between city leaders and the African-American leadership made national headlines as a comparison to events further south where civil rights protestors were often at odds with leadership and police.  

1968 – Lady Bird Johnson visits Hezekiah Alexander House

The annual celebration of Meck Dec Day at one time was a huge celebration in Charlotte, bigger even than July 4. Four sitting presidents visited Charlotte for the Meck Dec Day festivities over the years (Taft, Wilson, Eisenhower, and Ford). In addition to Presidents, Lady Bird Johnson, who was First Lady at the time, came to Charlotte for the celebration in 1968 and visited the Hezekiah Alexander house which sits on the grounds of the Charlotte Museum of History.

2014 – Charlotte’s NBA team announces name of Hornets returning

More recently, Charlotte’s beloved pro basketball team officially changed their name from the Bobcats back to the Hornets on May 20, 2014, adopting the name, color scheme, and even the original team’s history. Everything was once again right with the world.