Edenton Tea Party Chapter
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Edenton, North Carolina
The Edenton Tea Party ladies included the wife of a British tax agent. They all signed a pledge to cease use of
East India Tea.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Welcome!
The Edenton Tea Party Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR), was formed in 1948. We hope the information found here will prove helpful to learn more about us and our work in the community. If you are seeking a DAR chapter in the Edenton area, please contact us to learn more about our active and civic-minded organization.
The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. We welcome your interest in learning more about our chapter and hope to hear from you.
Chowan Courthouse
Photo above courtesy Chowan County
Tourism Development Authority
About Edenton
Edenton was the first permanent settlement in North Carolina and the “mothertown” of the state. Edenton at once became the focal point of civilization in the province, the capital of the colony, and the home of the royal governors.
Originally incorporated in 1712 as “The Towne on Queen Anne’s Creek” the spot was named Edenton in 1722 in honor of Governor Charles Eden.
Edenton was established in 1712 as the colonial capital of North Carolina, and it soon became the cultural and economic capital as well. Hundreds of ships made the town a regular port of call, offloading food and goods, and shipping the prolific agricultural products of the region to European ports. The result was a thriving plantation economy that brought life to northeastern North Carolina.
Students of history are familiar with the Boston Tea Party, but how many have heard of the Edenton Tea Party? In 1774, over fifty of Edenton’s leading ladies signed a pledge to cease use of East India Tea, thus showing that southern merchants were in accord with their Boston cousins in opposing British taxation. On October 25, 1774, a mass meeting of citizens, presided over by Penelope Barker, gathered at the courthouse and publicly denounced the unjust imposition of taxes and prosecutions and condemned the Boston Port Act, openly declaring, “The cause of Boston was the cause of us all.”
“The Edenton Tea Party,” as it came to be known, was one of many colonial-era events that helped position Edenton as one of the most important ports on the east coast.
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