| Centuries ago, the taxation
of tea in the American Colonies was one of the catalysts that
helped spark the American War of Independence. Even though the
tax on British controlled tea stocks was not a substantial
amount per household, this was one of many taxes that occurred
without proper consent over a span of several decades. Cries of
"taxation without representation" engulfed the Colonies until
there was no peaceful compromise to be realized. On December 16,
1773 a group of Colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians
boarded three English ships in Boston Harbor and threw the tea
onboard into the water, in protest against the duty imposed on
tea by the Government of King George III. |
|
When the first Boston Tea Party was over, hundreds of tea chests
were left floating in the frigid harbor waters. In the months
that followed, many other seaports staged their own “Tea
Parties”. On March 7, 1774, at a second Boston Tea Party, 16 chests
of fine tea from tea merchants, Davison Newman & Co. Ltd. of
London, were also dumped in the harbor in defiance of British
policies. Still in operation today, Britain’s oldest tea
merchant has developed this famous tea blend and offers it
exclusively through the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company. With
several packaging sizes and styles available, this small piece
of our country’s history not only makes a great Boston-themed
gift idea, but a truly memorable cup of tea. |
