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Peggy Stewart Tea Party Chapter, NSDAR

Annapolis, Maryland

About Us

Our Name

Many people are familiar with the Boston Tea Party; however, many do not realize that a similar incident took place in the Annapolis port. This event has since become known as the "Annapolis Tea Party."

On October 19, 1774, the owner of the Peggy Stewart, Captain Anthony Stewart, and several other merchants of the colonial port city of Annapolis, were forced to burn the brig in the Annapolis harbor after bringing several hundred pounds of tea directly from London with tax and duties to be paid. The Peggy Stewart, named after the captain’s daughter, was built and registered in Patuxent, Maryland, only a year and a half before she was destroyed.

In 1898, when ladies of Annapolis formed the DAR chapter, they chose to be known as the “Peggy Stewart Tea Party,” commemorating this historic event. For over a hundred years, our chapter has been promoting patriotism, supporting our veterans and educating our youth in Maryland’s capital city of Annapolis through the programs of the NSDAR.

The bronze marker is mounted on Luce Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and commemorates the burning of the brig Peggy Stewart.  Photo courtesy of Lynn Stephens. 

Our Membership

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR) is a non-profit, non-political, volunteer women's service organization comprising 3,000 chapters and over 185,000 members.  NSDAR is the largest women's service organization in the world.

Peggy Stewart Tea Party Chapter, NSDAR, is over 150 members strong and growing. Any woman is eligible for membership in DAR who is no less than eighteen years of age and can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence.

The DAR is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. Nationally, DAR members volunteer more than 60,000 hours annually to veteran patients, award over $150,000 in scholarships and financial aid each year to students, and support schools for the underprivileged with annual donations exceeding one million dollars.


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