Edenton Tea Party
- When
- 1774–1775
- Where
- Edenton, North Carolina; Virginia and London
- Episodes
- 2
In October 1774, 51 women in Edenton, North Carolina, signed the Edenton Resolves to support a boycott of British goods. This political protest responded to the Tea Act and the First North Carolina Provincial Congress, marking an early instance of female political activism in the colonies.
Episodes
- Signing of the Edenton Resolves
Fifty-one women signed a statement supporting the provincial boycott of British goods.
- Publication of the Resolves
The Edenton Resolves were published in the Virginia Gazette and London newspapers.
Background and detail
Background. The Edenton Tea Party was a political protest in Edenton, North Carolina, triggered by the British Parliament's passage of the Tea Act in 1773. Colonists grew angry at this legislation, and the First Continental Congress subsequently passed non-importation resolutions in 1774 to boycott British teas and textiles.
The Edenton Resolves. On October 25, 1774, 51 women from Edenton and the surrounding area signed a statement affirming their support for the First North Carolina Provincial Congress. The Congress had previously resolved to boycott British goods to protest the Crown's mistreatment of the colonies and the specific provisions of the Tea Act.
Significance and Legacy. The Edenton Resolves are recognized as one of the earliest known protests organized by women in the American Colonies. This gathering is cited as one of the first instances of political activism by women in the Thirteen Colonies, contributing to the broader movement that led to the American Revolution.
People involved
- 51 women from Edenton and surrounding area · Signers of the Edenton Resolves
- First North Carolina Provincial Congress · Body whose resolutions were supported
Sources
- Edenton Tea Party Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.