As part of the America 250 commemorations taking place around the nation this year, a new exhibit tells the story of how Charlotte earned its reputation as a "hornet's nest of rebellion,” using archives and rare books to trace this identity from British General Charles Cornwallis’s 1780 retreat to modern-day social activism.
According to local lore, Cornwallis bitterly described Charlotte as a "hornet's nest" after his troops faced unexpectedly fierce resistance here. While no contemporaneous writings from Cornwallis confirm the quote, the exhibit highlights the intense warfare in our region that likely prompted such a sentiment.
Beyond the battlefield, the exhibit examines the earliest documented references to Cornwallis uttering the term to describe Charlotte, which appear in accounts by John McKnitt Alexander and William Polk in the early 19th century. It goes on to show how the phrase has been used regularly through the centuries.
The final section of the exhibit explores how the hornet’s nest remains a potent symbol of pride and identity in Charlotte-Mecklenburg today. "Ultimately, the hornet's nest Cornwallis encountered came to define the war in our region, creating a legacy that has left an indelible mark on the identity of Charlotte-Mecklenburg to this day," the exhibit notes.
Charlotte, A Hornet’s Nest of Rebellion: An Enduring Legacy from the Revolutionary War to Today
Atkins Library Atrium
March 30- July 6, 2026