The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a document that was purportedly adopted on May 20, 1775, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It declared the county's independence from British rule, making it one of the earliest assertions of independence in the American colonies. The declaration is often associated with the growing sentiment for independence that would culminate in the official Declaration of Independence in 1776. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been debated among historians. Some believe it was a genuine expression of revolutionary sentiment, while others argue it was a later fabrication. Regardless, it holds historical significance as a symbol of the early push for independence in the American colonies.