In 1774, 51 brave women in Edenton, North Carolina, signed a petition vowing to boycott British tea in protest of unfair taxation. Known today as the Edenton Tea Party, this bold act of defiance was one of the first political demonstrations by women in the American colonies, a clear stand against government overreach and a demand for representation.
Fast forward 250 years, and that same revolutionary spirit is alive in the hearts of today’s parents, not over tea taxes, but over school boards and classroom policies. Once again, citizens, this time mothers and fathers, are rising up to challenge bureaucrats who presume to know what’s best for their families.
The parallels between the American Revolution’s cry of “no taxation without representation” and today’s demand for “parental rights in education” are striking. Both movements are born out of a fundamental belief in self-governance and individual liberty. Both are examples of the governed demanding transparency, a seat at the table and the right to consent, be it in taxation or curriculum. Both revolutions are also about demanding a right to community control rather than top-down mandates.
Just last month, the North Carolina House passed legislation affirming parents’ rights in education, shielding parents from losing custody or being denied adoption placement if they do not support gender transition interventions. Opponents characterized the bill as “anti-trans,” arguing that parental denial of “gender affirming care” amounts to abuse or neglect.
SB 442, the Parents Protection Act, currently sits on the desk of Gov. Josh Stein. It passed the North Carolina House by a vote of 74–36, and the Senate concurred by a vote of 28-19. Nine House Democrats voted in favor; enough to override a potential gubernatorial veto.
“Parents have a right to direct their children’s healthcare, protect their children from harmful gender transition interventions, and raise their children consistent with their beliefs,” said Tami Fitzgerald, executive director of the NC Values Coalition, upon the bill’s approval by the state legislature. “The Parents Protection Act ensures that parents can exercise these rights without fear of the government taking their child away.”
In March, a North Carolina Supreme Court ruling, Happel v. Guilford County Board of Education, affirmed that parents, not government schools, have the constitutional right to direct their children’s medical care and upbringing. In that case, a teenager, playing for his public-school football team, was forcibly given a COVID vaccine by a Western Guilford High School medical provider without his parents’ permission and against his will. The decision, written by Chief Justice Paul Newby, argued that the school was not shielded from immunity by the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act during the COVID pandemic.
SB442 and the March ruling are long-overdue reminders that parents are the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, not the government.
At the national level, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s recent visit to Raleigh for the 20th anniversary of Parents for Educational Freedom NC underscored growing support for policies that empower parents to choose the best educational setting for their children. From public charter schools to Opportunity Scholarships, families are pushing for options that reflect their needs, regardless of their income or mailing address. This is not a partisan issue — it is a freedom issue.
Two and a half centuries ago, our founders rejected the idea that faraway elites should dictate how they lived, worked, or worshiped. Today’s parents are doing the same.
This is the enduring legacy of the Edenton Tea Party: ordinary people, standing up against extraordinary power, in defense of their rights and their children.
As we celebrate July 4th and recognize that the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is just 12 months away, we would do well to remember that the spirit of 1776 is not a relic of the past — it is a rallying cry for our present.
