On the evening of December 16, 1773, the brave patriots of Boston stood against tyranny. My Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather was among them and played a key role that changed the course of human history.

Benjamin Edes

Benjamin Edes was a member of the Sons of Liberty and publisher of the Boston Gazette. The Boston Gazette was the most radical of Boston newspapers often expressing a patriotic and revolutionary point of view. Some of the conspirators met at the Edes’ home before proceeding to Griffin’s Warf to dump 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor.

There are 116 known participants in the Boston Tea Party, and Benjamin Edes is among them. Benjamin Edes was the father of William Edes, who was the father of Eliza Smull Edes, who was the mother of Elizabeth Luce Smull, who was the mother of Metta Focke, who was the mother of Elizabeth Eisenhart, who was the mother of Clyde Hughes, who was the father of John Hughes, who is my father. 

My Grandmother

I count it as a blessing to even know this fact. The credit belongs to my Grandmother, Margaret Hughes. When I was a child, she did the difficult research, pre-internet, to discover our family history. Several years ago, before she passed, she gave me her research notes and documentation.

This allowed me to know more about my family roots. I recognize that I’ve been shaped by beliefs, skills, and principles that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Leadership Lessons

While I have a personal connection through family, all patriotic Americans identify with the Boston Tea Party. Let’s take inspiration from their bravery and apply it to our leadership practices.

1. Write. You’ve all heard the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Benjamin Edes was a publisher and a writer. American revolutionary thought needed to be articulated in compelling articles and distributed widely. Had he not done this, the patriotic cause may not have reached critical mass. Similarly, I take my responsibility seriously to spread ideas of good technology leadership to encourage this generation of leaders to rise to their calling.
2. Resist tyranny. Throughout history, there have always been those in power who use their power to exploit. Those of us who call ourselves leaders must respond. We confront the wicked and defend the powerless. We aren’t the ones that sit back and hope it gets better. We make it happen. I’ve used my voice for this many times. You should too.
3. Be diplomatic. Throwing tea into the harbor wasn’t Plan A. It was a last resort. The Sons of Liberty used every diplomatic and political option available to get the ships to return their unloaded tea to England. Only after all other efforts failed, did they resort to this covert act of civil disobedience. But even then, it was completely bloodless. In our leadership efforts, we similarly must take measured approaches. We must be collaborators first and revolutionaries second.

250 years have passed since the destruction of the tea. In so many ways, our world looks totally different and it’s quite difficult to put ourselves back in that mindset and time period. To commemorate the anniversary, I watched the four-part miniseries, “Liberty or Death: Boston Tea Party.” It’s a great way to immerse yourself in remembrance and inspire yourself to lead bravely.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download