This week, 246 years ago, over $1,000,000 worth of goods was tossed into a harbor. That’s right, this week marks the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
In the late 1700's, Britain was in severe debt and decided the solution was to impose multiple taxes on the American colonies. The first tax was the Stamp Act which taxed every piece of paper from newspapers to playing cards. A few years later Britain increased this to the Townshed Acts, taxing necessities such as paint, glass, and tea. At this time the American colonists drank an average of 2 to 3 cups of tea a day. So, as you can imagine, they were not too happy with an increased tax on their tea. But what disgusted the colonists even more was that the British Parliament was imposing all of these taxes without the colonists being represented and having a voice.
In December of 1773 a group of colonists, known as the Sons of Liberty, decided British Parliament was going to hear the voice of the colonists, whether they liked in or not. On the evening of 16th over 100 men dressed up as Native Americans, boarded three ships delivering tea leaves to Boston Harbor. Shouting the phrase “No taxation with representation,” the protesters threw 342 crates of black and green teas, amounting to over $1,000,000 today, into the harbor.
Many people belief the colonists dressed as Native Americans to disguise themselves as members of the local native tribes. However, this unlikely; during that time, it was commonplace for protesters to dress in costume i.e. blackening their faces, dressing as priests, and women to produce a sense on anarchy.
There were also several other tea parties following the Boston Tea Party. Nine days later, in Philadelphia, the captain of a ship bearing tea was threatened to be tarred and feathered if he did not return the tea to England. The following year when a ship carrying tea arrived in Charleston, South Carolina local citizens demanded the merchants who had ordered the tea to toss it in the harbor themselves.
Rachel Eisenfeld is the owner of Elden Street Tea Shop. She is a fan of Pu'er (poo-air) teas, refreshing and subtle white teas, and any tea mixed with bourbon. Rachel has been to many tea houses on the East Coast, Ireland, and San Franscico. She enjoys learning about the chemical process of making tea and international tea culture. During good times and bad, tea warms the soul.