Charlotte's history begins in 1762, when Mecklenberg County was formed from part of Anson County and included in what was to become the largest city in North Carolina. Charlotte was named after Charlotte Sophia, the wife of King George III, and Mecklenberg County is named for the queen's homeland, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which was a northern Germanic realm of the Roman empire.
Here are highlights of Charlotte's history, from its establishment to current development.
The city's early beginnings
James Lederer, an English explorer, discovered the Catawba tribe in the early 1670s. They were the first Native Americans to live in the area that would become Mecklenberg. By the mid-1750s, a number of European families and settlers had begun a town located on a Native American trading path situated between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. The crossroads, which were known simply as "The Square," would eventually grow to become the downtown hub of Charlotte.
The revolution
The people of Charlotte were strongly resistant to the British crown as the nation began to rumble with revolution. The city was disgruntled with the reign of King George III, and their willingness to fight proved a big factor in Charlotte history and the American Revolution. In the Battle of Charlotte, Lord Cornwallis was quoted as saying, "Let's get out of here. This place is a damned hornets' nest." Mecklenberg citizens took the "Hornet's Nest" comment as a compliment and included it in the city's official seal. In 1775, the Mecklenberg Declaration of Independence formally severed ties with Britain.
Gold rush
A boy named Conrad Reed found a 17-pound stone in a stream several miles north of Charlotte, and his family used it as a doorstop for years. They soon learned the shining stone contained gold, which by 1803 ignited the first gold rush in America, and the Charlotte and Mecklenberg area exploded. A U.S. Mint would later be established there.
Growth and industry
Charlotte grew and became an industrial center in the 19th century. It was home to many textile plants and large companies like Charlotte Chemical Laboratories, the Lance Corporation and Allison-Erwin Company, which figured strongly in the bustling city's economy.
A financial center
During World War I and II, the Charlotte area economy stagnated, but the area began a renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s as Charlotte-Mecklenberg emerged as one of the leading financial centers in the United States. In 1991, the merger of National Bank and C&S Sorvan created NationsBank, and soon Bank of America and Wachovia based their headquarters in Charlotte. Charlotte is the second-largest financial banking center in the United States after New York City.
Culture and education
Historical locales in Charlotte-Mecklenberg include the Charlotte Museum of History, the Latta Plantation and the Hezekiah Alexander House. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Queens University, Johnson C. Smith University and Davidson College are the four academic universities in the county. The cultural attractions of the area include the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Mint Museum of Art, Opera Carolina and the Charlotte Repertory Theater. The Charlotte hornets (NBA) and the Carolina Panthers (NFL) are in the Charlotte downtown area, and NASCAR's Lowe's Motor Speedway is within the district as well.