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| The DAR
Insignia is the property of, and is copyrighted by, the National Society
of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. |
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| LAST UPDATE: 19 DEC 07 |
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| Sandra Sperry, Regent |
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Originally incorporated in 1715 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 1728 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, goods, and slaves 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. All students of history are familiar with the Boston Tea Party. But how many have ever 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 August 22, 1774, a mass meeting of citizens, presided over by the rector of St. Paul's Church, 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." |
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| 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. |
| "... over fifty of Edenton's leading ladies (including the wife of a British tax agent) signed a pledge to cease use of East India Tea ..." |
| Today, visitors can revisit Edenton's colonial past with tours through a beautiful historic district that some say surpass Williamsburg, Virginia, because the homes and buildings of Edenton are not reconstructed, but are the restored originals. Over 25 homes and public buildings comprise the North |
| Carolina State Historic Site, and many special events and seasonal tours bring sparkle to the town. The surrounding countryside boasts many plantations that once provided the economic backbone of the area. |
| The Revolutionary cannon brought from France is
now mounted on Edenton's "Battery" at the foot of the Courthouse
Green. A Colonial teapot mounted on a Revolutionary cannon marks the site of the Edenton Tea Party. |
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| "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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| APPROVED 11 OCT 03 |