Symbolizing growth is a tree in the center, with rays radiating from behind it, symbolizing hope for the future. Hanging on the tree is a hornet's nest, a Revolutionary War-era symbol, symbolizing the role the city played during the time period. This is explained in a pamphlet produced by the city, reading:More symbolism related to the era can be found within on seal, with a Liberty Cap present, hanging on the tree besides the nest. Beneath the tree are two hands clasped. The date "1775" is found below the hands, the year the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was supposedly adopted, a year before the Continental Congress adopted their declaration.