The town of Edenton is located on the

Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan River, Chowan and Roanoke River, Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean b ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

Inner Banks The Inner Banks are the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina. Without historical precedent, the term "Inner Banks" is an early 21st-century construct that is part of an attempt to rebrand the mostly agrarian Coastal Plains east of I-95 ...

region. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Chowan County. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. Edenton served as the second official capital of North Carolina, during the colonial era as the

Province of North Carolina The Province of North Carolina, originally known as the Albemarle Settlements, was a proprietary colony and later royal colony of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776.(p. 80) It was one of the five Southern col ...

, though other than housing the governor's official residence, it did not have other governmental functions. It served as capital from 1722 to 1743, when the capital was moved to Brunswick. The town was the site of the

Edenton Tea Party The Edenton Tea Party was a political protest in Edenton, North Carolina, in response to the Tea Act, passed by the British Parliament in 1773. It was one of the first instances of political activism by women in the Thirteen Colonies. In Octobe ...

, a protest organized by several Edenton women in 1774 in solidarity with the organizers of the

Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was a seminal American protest, political and Mercantilism, mercantile protest on December 16, 1773, during the American Revolution. Initiated by Sons of Liberty activists in Boston in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colo ...

. It was the birthplace of

Harriet Jacobs Harriet Jacobs (1813 or 1815 – March 7, 1897) was an African-American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and writer whose autobiography, ''Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl'', published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Bre ...

, an enslaved African American whose 1861

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, ''

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl ''Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself'' is an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs, a mother and fugitive slave, published in 1861 by Lydia Maria Child, L. Maria Child, who edited the book for its author. Jacobs used the pseudon ...

'', is now considered an American classic. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Edenton was the site of a controversial and heavily reported sexual abuse trial and overturned conviction, what ultimately became North Carolina’s longest and most costly criminal trial — during what has been described as a period of widespread

day-care sex-abuse hysteria Day-care sex-abuse hysteria was a moral panic that occurred primarily during the 1980s and early 1990s, and featured charges against day-care providers accused of committing several forms of child abuse, including Satanic ritual abuse. The collec ...

. Edenton's local economy is primarily driven by tourism, and as a popular retirement location.

History

Edenton Colony

In 1658 adventurers from the Jamestown area drifted through the wilderness from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and found a location on the northern shore of a small natural harbor at , now called Edenton Bay. Edenton Colony was the first permanent European settlement in what is now the state of

. Edenton was established in 1712 as "the Towne on Queen Anne's Creek". It was later known as "Ye Towne on Mattercommack Creek" and still later as "the Port of Roanoke". It was renamed "Edenton" and incorporated in 1722 in honor of Governor Charles Eden, who had died that year.

Historic Edenton

Edenton served as the second

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the

, from 1722 to 1743, with the governor establishing his residence there and the population increasing during that period.

William Byrd II William Byrd II (March 28, 1674August 26, 1744) was an American planter, lawyer, surveyor and writer. Born in the English colony of Virginia, Byrd was educated in London, where he practiced law. Upon his father's death, Byrd returned to Virginia ...

, who visited the town in March 1729, provides a description of Edenton in his ''

The History of the Dividing Line ''The History of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina'' is an account by William Byrd II of the surveying of the border between the Colony of Virginia and the Province of North Carolina The Province of North Carolina, origina ...

'':

This town is Situated on the north side of Albermarle Sound which is there about 5 miles over. A Dirty Slash runs all along the Back of it, which in the Summer is a foul annoyance, and furnishes abundance of that Carolina plague, musquetas. There may be 40 or 50 Houses, most of them Small, built without Expense. A Citizen here is counted Extravagant, if he has Ambition enough to aspire to a Brick-chimney. Justice herself is but indifferently Lodged, the Court-House having much the Air of a Common
Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
-House. I believe this is the only metropolis in the Christian or Mohametan world where there is neither Church, Chapel, Mosque, Synagogue, nor any other Place of Publick Worship of any Sect or Religion whatsoever. What little Devotion there may be is much more private than their vices.

A landmark in women's history occurred in Edenton in 1774. Fifty-one women in Edenton, led by

Penelope Barker Penelope Padgett Hodgson Craven Barker, commonly known as Penelope Barker (June 17, 1728 – 1796), was a Colonial American activist who, in the lead-up to the American Revolution, organized a boycott of British goods in 1774 orchestrated by a g ...

, signed a protest petition agreeing to boycott English tea and other products, in what became known, decades later, as the

. The Edenton Tea Party is the first known political action by women in the British American colonies. In fact it so shocked London that newspapers published etchings depicting the women as uncontrollable. Her home, the Barker House, is open seven days a week, without a fee, and is considered by many as Edenton's living room.

Joseph Hewes Joseph Hewes (July 9, 1730– November 10, 1779) was an American Founding Father and a signer of the Continental Association and U.S. Declaration of Independence. Hewes was a native of Princeton, New Jersey, where he was born in 1730. His paren ...

, a resident of Edenton and successful owner of a merchant marine fleet, was appointed the first Secretary of the Navy in 1776.

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

said that Hewes "laid the foundation, the cornerstone of the American Navy." Hewes also signed the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

James Iredell James Iredell (October 5, 1751 – October 20, 1799) was one of the first justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed by President George Washington and served from 1790 until his death in 1799. His son, James Iredel ...

, also of Edenton, was at 38 the youngest member of the first

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. He was appointed by

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. His son

James Iredell Jr. James Iredell Jr. (November 2, 1788 – April 13, 1853) was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina between 1827 and 1828. Early life Iredell was born in Chowan County, North Carolina. He was the son of well-known parents: his fath ...

, served as the Democratic-Republican governor of North Carolina and then became a United States senator. His home may be toured through the Historic Edenton Visitors Center. Easy sea access halted with a 1795 hurricane which silted Roanoke Inlet. Completion of the 1805

Dismal Swamp Canal The Dismal Swamp Canal is a canal located along the eastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina in the United States. Opened in 1805, it is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States. It is p ...

took business elsewhere by diverting shipping to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

. Locals rejected construction of a railroad, a lack that impeded the local economy. Supreme Court Justice

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada * James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Queb ...

, a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

, died in Edenton on August 21, 1798, at age 55, while riding his judicial circuit. Map of Edenton Chowan County North Carolina 1769

and her brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

were born into slavery in Edenton in 1813 and 1815, respectively. They, and later Harriet's children, were baptized at St.Paul's. Their early childhood was centered around Horniblow's tavern, the town's only colonial hotel, on the northern side of East King Street, just west of

Chowan County Courthouse The Chowan County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Edenton, North Carolina, Edenton, the county seat of Chowan County, North Carolina. Built in 1767, it is one of the finest examples of public Georgian architecture in the American South. ...

. Twelve-year old John Jacobs was sold at public auction in 1828, probably at Market House (junction Water Street / Broad Street). Both siblings became enslaved to an abusive master, the local physician, Dr. James Norcom, living with him at his house on West Eden Street. In 1835, Harriet Jacobs went into hiding in the house of her grandmother, a freedwoman, on the northern side of West King Street, a few steps from Broad Street. She famously had to stay there concealed in a crawl space for seven years before she was finally able to escape to New York, where she wrote ''Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl'', now considered an "American classic". In 1862, during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, the Albemarle Artillery was recruited at Edenton by a local attorney named William Badham Jr. Its guns were cast from bronze bells taken from courthouse and churches in the Edenton area. Known as the Edenton Bell Battery, its four

howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...

s were named the ''Columbia'', ''St. Paul'', ''Fannie Roulac'', and ''Edenton''. Two of the guns, the ''St. Paul'' and ''Edenton'', have been returned to Edenton and can now be seen at Edenton's waterfront park. Edenton enjoyed an economic revival beginning in 1890 led by

lumbering Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks

, an 1898

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

, and a 1909

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...

-processing plant. The J. H. Leary building, constructed in 1894, was owned by

Josephine Leary Josephine Napoleon Leary (1856–1923) was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur from Edenton, North Carolina. The J. H. Leary building, a large commercial property in Edenton built in 1894, features her name on the pediment. ...

, an African American real estate entrepreneur. Edenton is the home of the 1886

Roanoke River Light The Roanoke River Lighthouse is a historic, decommissioned lighthouse, located on the waterfront of Edenton, North Carolina. The lighthouse once stood in Albemarle Sound at the mouth of the Roanoke River, across the Sound from its current locat ...

house. The lighthouse is called a screw-pile design because of its original support system. Each piling was literally screwed into the river or sound bottom so they would not pull out in heavy storms and hurricanes. The Roanoke River Lighthouse, now located at Edenton, is believed to be the last extant example in the United States of a rectangular frame building built for a screw-pile base. The lighthouse was in commission from 1887 until 1941. Edenton is home to numerous early houses and public buildings, including the Cupola House. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1970, a designation also accorded the 1776 Chowan County Courthouse. The courthouse is still used for official court events. The city is home to the oldest house still in existence in North Carolina, constructed in 1719 before the establishment of the city. Edenton achieved international notoriety for the Little Rascals Day Care sexual abuse case, the subject of journalist

Ofra Bikel Ofra Bikel (née Ichilov; ; September 12, 1929 – August 11, 2024) was an Israeli-American documentary filmmaker and television producer. For more than two decades she was a mainstay of the acclaimed PBS series ''Frontline'' producing over 25 aw ...

's award-winning trilogy of Frontline documentaries: ''Innocence Lost'' (1991), ''Innocence Lost: The Verdict'' (1993), and ''Innocence Lost: The Plea'' (1997).

Geography

Edenton is located in southern Chowan County sits at the north end of Edenton Bay, just north of the confluence of the Chowan and Roanoke rivers, which forms

U.S. Route 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the East Coast of the United States, At ...

, a four-lane expressway, runs along the northern border of the town, with access from five exits. US 17 leads northeast to

Elizabeth City Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank county, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and most populous city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educational h ...

and southwest to Williamston.

Nags Head Nag's Head or Nags Head may refer to: London * Nag's Head, London, a locality in Holloway ** Nag's Head Market, a street market * Nag's Head, Covent Garden, a pub Elsewhere in the United Kingdom * Nag's Head Island, Abingdon-on-Thames * Nagshead ...

on the

Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...

is to the east by road, and

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, the state capital, is to the west. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Edenton has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.55%, is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,460 people, 2,084 households, and 1,177 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 5,394 people, 1,983 households, and 1,294 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 42.86%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 55.23%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.44% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population. There were 1,983 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 24.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 78.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,241, and the median income for a family was $34,132. Males had a median income of $27,192 versus $18,281 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $13,264. About 20.3% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 34.1% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Located in northeastern North Carolina, Edenton is a small unique town known for its authentic 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and the stories about the people behind these public buildings and homes. The Lane House dates from 1719 and may be the oldest house in the state of North Carolina. Edenton played a key role in the development of the colonies, the state and the nation. The Cupola House, a registered National Historic Landmark, was built by Francis Corbin in 1758 on the waterfront at Edenton where it stands today. The 1767

, another National Historic Landmark, has been used since its construction. The Barker House, home of

, the organizer of the first political action by women in the colonies, is operated as a

house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...

and to interpret colonial history. The home of James Iredell Sr. is in Edenton and operated as a North Carolina Historic Site.

Churches

Edenton has many religious institutions. Some of the churches in the community include: St Annes Catholic Church c. 1821 First Presbyterian Church of Edenton c. 1946 *Edenton United Methodist Church *Open Door Church * St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built c. 1736 *Edenton Baptist Church *Macedonia Baptist Church *Kadesh African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Sports

For two years, 1951 and 1952, Edenton's

Historic Hicks Field Historic Hicks Field is a historic baseball stadium and national historic district located in Edenton, North Carolina, ( Chowan County). The stadium is home to the John A. Holmes High School Aces as well as the Edenton Steamers of the Coasta ...

was home to a professional minor league baseball team. The Edenton Colonials played in the Class D

Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928, folding in June. The most fa ...

in 1951 and the Class D

Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal Plain League which operated in the area f ...

in 1952. Since 1998 Hicks Field has served as the home park for the Edenton Steamers of the collegiate summer

Notable people

* William Allen (1803–1879), born in Edenton, later

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

(1728–1796), organized first political action by women in the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America. The Thirteen C ...

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

(born 1960), former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

defensive end for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

Wes Chesson Wes Chesson (born January 15, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue D ...

(born 1949), former NFL wide receiver for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Golden Frinks Golden Asro Frinks (August 15, 1920 – July 19, 2004) was an American civil rights activist and a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) field secretary who represented the New Bern, North Carolina SCLC chapter. He is best known as a pr ...

(1920–2004),

civil rights leader Civil rights leaders are influential figures in the promotion and implementation of political freedom and the expansion of personal civil liberties and rights. They work to protect individuals and groups from political repres ...

and SCLC field representative who based his activism around Edenton *

Jesse González José Luis "Jesse" González Gudina (born May 25, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper. Early life González was born in North Carolina. He grew up in Texas and played for a local Dallas team named C.D. I ...

(born 1995),

MLS Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...

goalkeeper for the

FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The franchise be ...

(1730–1779), a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

, first

Secretary of the U.S. Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirme ...

(1751–1799),

Associate Justice An associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some ...

of the U.S. Supreme Court *

(1813–1897),

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

and author of ''

'', published in 1861 under the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

of "Linda Brent" * John Swanson Jacobs (1815–1873), Harriet's brother,

speaker and author of a

slave narrative The slave narrative is a type of literary genre involving the (written) autobiographical accounts of enslaved persons, particularly African diaspora, Africans enslaved in the Americas, though many other examples exist. Over six thousand such narra ...

(1856–1923), real estate entrepreneur born into slavery *

Samuel Johnston Samuel Johnston (December 15, 1733 – August 17, 1816) was an American planter, lawyer, Grand Master of Freemasons, slave holder, and statesman from Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina in both the Continental Congress ...

(1733–1816), revolutionary leader and first

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from North Carolina * Zack Valentine (born 1957),

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

-winning

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

linebacker; also played for the

Hugh Williamson Hugh Williamson (December 5, 1735 – May 22, 1819) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, physician, and politician. He is best known as a Signature, signatory to the U.S. Constitution and for representing Nort ...

(1735–1819), Signer of the United States Constitution and member of the Constitutional Congress * Big Daddy Wilson (born 1960), electric and

soul blues Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music. Origin American singers and musicians who grew up listening to the electric blues by artists s ...

singer and songwriter *

Adrian H. Wood Adrian Thorpe Harrold Wood is an American writer and educator. Wood worked as a community college curriculum specialist and a researcher for special needs-inclusive prekindergarten programs prior to writing her blog, ''Tales of an Educated Debuta ...

, educator and writer

References

External links

*
Town websiteEdenton-Chowan County Tourism Development AuthorityA Guide to Historic EdentonEdenton Historical Commission
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edenton, North Carolina 1722 establishments in North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Former colonial capitals in North Carolina Historic Albemarle Tour Populated places established in 1722 Towns in Chowan County, North Carolina