A daring act of political defiance by North Carolina’s women shocks Britain. Learn how Penelope Barker and her allies staged one of the earliest organized female protests in American history.

On our second episode, our guest, Donna King — Executive Vice President of the John Locke Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of Carolina Journal — joins host Donald Bryson to explore the remarkable story of the Edenton Tea Party of 1774. More than fifty women, led by Penelope Barker, gathered in Edenton to sign a declaration boycotting British tea and goods — openly defying royal authority and risking charges of treason. This courageous act of protest, carried out in broad daylight and signed with their real names, shocked London and inspired the colonies. The Edenton Tea Party became one of the earliest organized political actions by women in America and a powerful symbol of North Carolina’s spirit of independence.