The Great Tea- overboarding of 1773: A Caffeinated Catastrophe with a Splash of Rebellion
Ah, the Boston Tea Party. A pivotal moment in American history, a night of fury and...well, a whole lot of ruined tea. But what exactly went flying into the chilly waters of Boston Harbor that night? Let's dive in, shall we? (Although, with this story, diving in might not have been the best idea).
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| What Was Thrown Overboard At The Boston Tea Party |
From Steeped Leaves to Steaming Protest: The Lowdown on the Tea
The Culprit: The British East India Company, a giant of the tea trade back in the day. King George III basically gave them a sweetheart deal to sell tea in the colonies, which ticked off a whole lot of colonists.
The Unwanted Gift: HUGE shipments of tea. We're talking hundreds of chests, filled to the brim with various types of tea. Black teas like Bohea and Souchong, green teas like Singlo and Hyson. Basically, an unwanted tea sampler platter for a very grumpy bunch.
Tip: A slow, careful read can save re-reading later.
Why the Grump? Taxation without representation! The colonists were furious about having to pay taxes on tea, especially since they had no say in British Parliament. It was like being forced to buy a super expensive tea kettle you never wanted, and then having to pay extra just to use it. Not cool, Britannia.
A Caffeinated Rebellion Brews: The Night the Tea Took a Swim
Enter some very determined colonists, many disguised as Mohawk Indians (though their questionable feather placement probably gave them away). They boarded the British ships, all riled up and ready to make a point.
QuickTip: Skim the intro, then dive deeper.
The Dastardly Deed: With a battle cry that likely involved a lot of "no taxation without representation!" these colonists dumped those chests of tea overboard. 342 chests to be exact, turning Boston Harbor into a giant cup of lukewarm rebellion.
Aftermath: Needless to say, King George III was not amused. This little tea-tantrum sparked a whole lot of tension, and let's just say the colonists and the British didn't exactly become best buds after that.
Tip: Check back if you skimmed too fast.
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So You're Saying I Can't Have a Boston Tea Party at Home?
While we don't recommend throwing perfectly good tea into your bathtub (unless it's, you know, really bad tea), you can learn a valuable lesson from the Boston Tea Party: Stand up for what you believe in! (Though maybe use less dramatic methods than, say, tea-chucking).
Frequently Asked Aquatic-Tea-Party Questions:
How to Throw a Boston Tea Party (the legal way): Have a tea party with your friends! Discuss revolutionary ideas over delicious non-ruined tea. Bonus points for dressing up in colonial garb (feather headdresses optional).
QuickTip: Stop and think when you learn something new.
How Much Tea Was Thrown Overboard? An estimated 342 chests, which translates to roughly 92,000 pounds of tea (that's a lot of tea leaves!).
What Kind of Tea Was Thrown Overboard? Mostly black teas like Bohea and Souchong, with some green teas like Singlo and Hyson thrown in for good measure.
Did Anyone Get Hurt? Thankfully, no! Though the British were none too pleased, the Boston Tea Party was a symbolic protest, not a violent one.
Can I Visit the Site of the Boston Tea Party Today? Absolutely! You can visit the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum to learn more about this pivotal moment in history (and maybe even take a whiff of what the tea might have smelled like).
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