Elizabeth Dyar

Elizabeth Dyar (Nichols)

• Elizabeth Nichols Dyar on Wikipedia
• Elizabeth Nichols Dyar Memorial, DAR
• Elizabeth Dyar History, Colonial Daughters Chapter, DAR
• Find A Grave Memorial ID # 113197484

In 1763 The Dyars lived in a neighborhood in Boston's North End, and were active and respected members of the community. Elizabeth's husband Joseph Dyar was a member of the revolutionary organization Sons of Liberty, a group whose goal was to advance the rights of the European colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. The turning point that got Elizabeth involved in the fight against the British was the Tea Act. Like most women of her time Dyar was an active tea drinker who stated tea is "the cup that cheers but not inebriates." For Elizabeth the Tea Act was the final push, she joined her husband in the protest against the British Government.

On December 16, 1773, Joseph Dyar and other members of Sons of Liberty gathered in the kitchen of the Dyars home where the 22 year old Elizabeth and two other Daughters of Liberty prepared and applied stains and paint to the faces and bodies of the men to transform them into Mohawk Indians. After the men boarded ships in Boston Harbor and destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.

Before Joseph left on that fateful night, Elizabeth had one request: that he bring her a handful of tea. When he returned home he produced the handful of tea and dashed it into the fire. He raged that not even she would partake of the tea."

Following the Boston Tea Party, the British occupied the city of Boston. Friends and family members of the Dyars feared for their safety during this time, since they believed that if their involvement in the Tea Party was found out, their lives could be endangered. So in order to protect her children, Elizabeth with the help of friends was able to smuggle herself and her children across British lines in an butcher cart, to safety to stay at her childhood home in Malden, Massachusetts.

While Elizabeth focused on taking care of her family during the following years leading up to and during the war, Joseph engaged in the war by smuggling supplies for the American Army across the colonies. Joseph was captured a total nine times by the British during the course of the war. The last time being stripped, flogged, and deprived of food for three days. In his weakened condition he died in 1783 from the effects of his capture. His body was returned to his family and buried in Malden.

References

• "Elizabeth Nichols Dyar Memorial History". Daughters of the American Revolution Colonial Daughters Chapter. Maine State Organization Daughters of the American Revolution. Retrieved 6 January 2020 < link >