Revolutionary Shore – July 4, 1774

By Kellee Blake

July 4, 1774
On this very day, 250 years ago . . .

As colonial leaders called for a meeting in Philadelphia, British-born James Tait walked the sandy shores of Northampton County with a dream. The recently arrived engineer/surveyor was certain he could make a fortune in the production of salt. Salt was much more than a tasty flavoring–it was an essential food preservative and necessary for livestock. Tait saw the Shore’s salty waters as an ideal resource and advertised for subscribers to help him construct a salt works there. He envisioned pans along the shoreline where saltwater would be collected and then processed to produce the “daily and necessary indispensable of life.” Virginia leaders wanted Tait to succeed so the colony would not be so dependent on salt imports from Great Britain and the West Indies. James Tait was not the first salt maker on the Shore, nor would he be the last.

He certainly had his share of challenges. Intermittent and confused funding, flawed construction of his first salt pan, and labor challenges were among them. Tait lamented in May 1776 that the “hostilities” disallowed him from getting his new copper salt pan across the Bay to the Shore. His saltworks production was underwhelming and the increasing wartime troubles both threatened the production and pressed Tait evaluate his loyalties. Yes, he wanted to make money, but the saltworks were positioned to help the Patriots.

As Shore Patriots became more vociferous, Tait understood he could not stay. He abandoned the Eastern Shore and sold his saltworks at a loss. He proved himself loyal to the King by joining British Troops and guiding British General Benedict Arnold and Colonel John Graves Simcoe in the pursuit of victory, serving as quartermaster at Portsmouth, and ultimately a prisoner at Yorktown.

At war’s end, Tait returned to England and sought reimbursement for the wealth he lost in America by adhering to the Crown. His claim was strongly supported by Lord Cornwallis and endorsed by Benedict Arnold at a hearing attended by Lord Dunmore. Though future installments of the The Revolutionary Shore will share more on James Tait’s Northampton saltworks and complicated adventures, it is fair to say that his journey’s end simply did not match the boundless possibilities he saw on Shore beaches that summer of ’74.

Join WESR on the 4th of each month to learn more about Virginia and the Shore’s role in the War for Independence. Get ready for the Revolutionary Shore!