What do the two dates on the North Carolina flag mean?
The first date – May 31, 1775 – commemorates the Mecklenburg Resolves, a statement issued by a committee in Charlotte just a few weeks after the opening battles of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord. The document called for nullification of the King’s authority.
The second date – April 12, 1776 – highlights the Halifax Resolves. Months before the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, North Carolina became the first colony to officially call for a separation from Great Britain with the adoption of the Halifax Resolves. North Carolina led the way.
– Ron Smith, S&A Communications