DAR chapter reenacts adoption of Prince William Resolves of 1774

The Prince William Resolves Chapter of the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution, along with Historic Dumfries Inc., recently celebrated the anniversary of the adoption of the Prince William Resolves at the Dumfries Community Center.

These Resolves were reenacted by more than 15 local first-person interpreters led by Gregory Fisher as Forshee Tebbs and Mike Cecere as Andrew Leitch, both of Prince William County.

It was standing room only as a tour group and visitors all packed the room to hear two sessions of the debate, and wonder at the discussion that would decide their lives and livelihood. Chapter Regent Kimberly K. Walters also participated in order to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Resolves for which her chapter is also named.

The debate started out with Tebbs banging his gavel and calling the meeting to order. The sheriff proclaimed, “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! The Dumfries Town Meeting, in the county of Prince William, in the Colony of Virginia, this committee is now in session!”

“Thank you sheriff,” Tebbs said. “Before we begin to raise the vote, I wish to remind everyone that only freeholders and property owners who are inhabitants within this county will be allowed to vote on these Resolves and that the county sheriff will be responsible for resolving any disputes on this matter. Are there any objections?”

David Blair, rising from his seat, exclaimed, “Aye! I request from this committee to explain as to what right you self-appointed committeemen have to place a sentence of death upon this town?” The townsfolk and others in the room mumbled and commented on this statement, wondered at its meaning.

Tebbs called for order. William Grayson rose and quietly said, “Sir, if you permit me, before the committee adopts these proposed Resolves, I believe ’twould behoove the public if the minutes from the meeting of this week past be read so that there is no misconception as to our being ‘self-appointed’ as Mr. Blair suggests.”

Blair seconded Grayson’s recommendation. And so the minutes were read and a spirited debate commenced.

“This reenactment is the perfect way for people in the county and surrounding areas to understand our history and how we stood up for what we thought was right,” Fisher said. “We were successful at creating an atmosphere so well done that your attention was riveted, and you felt as if you were really there in 1774.”

“Prince William County Resolves,” were written in response to the Boston Port Bill which became law on March 31, 1774. This bill, which closed Boston harbor, was the British response to the dumping of tea in the Boston Harbor on Dec. 16, 1773.

As word of these events spread throughout the colonies, support for the Massachusetts patriots grew. These Resolves were among the first steps Virginia took against the mother country, a copy of which was in the county minutes and published in the Virginia Gazette on June 16, 1774.

Walters ensured representation from the DAR and said, “This day was very special for my chapter and Historic Dumfries Inc. The interpreters really made the event come alive and I was honored to be amongst them. I hope that those who attended this year and hopefully in years to come went away from it with a renewed sense of God, home and country.”

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for our nation’s children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.

With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations.

— The Prince William Resolves Chapter of the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution