Thirty-two tons of tea were
thrown into the Boston Harbor last
night in a shocking display of rebellion
that some say has been building for a
long time. The tea was from three
ships docked in the harbor, all from
the British East India Company. Eye-
witnesses say the ship was boarded by
men dressed like Indians from the
Boston area, the Mohawks.
The men then began to pick up
crates of tea and throw them into the
river, causing the water to turn a sick-
ly shade of brown. "It was as if the
whole harbor was a giant cup of Earl
Grey," said Richard McHale, a local
blacksmith. "We won't be having any
tea around here for a long time!"
Not only did they throw the tea
overboard, but they also split open the
boxes so there would be no hope of
recovering the tea from the harbor.
Samuel Adams, a local legislator,
led a town meeting just before the tea
riot occurred. Those at the meeting
decided to ask the East India Compa-
ny to return the tea to England. Most
agents of the East India Company
refused. You may have heard of Adams
he is also known as the infamous
leader of a rebel group called the
"Sons of Liberty."
In other ports throughout the
colonies, action has been taken to stop
the tea from even entering the harbors.
Port officials in Philadelphia and New
York prevented English ships from
docking in order to avoid the chain of
events that happened in Boston.
Many agents of the company have
resigned after facing threats from
angry citizens.
In Boston, Governor Hutchin-
son openly supports the East India
Company. He ordered the ships to
land, causing the people to take to the
streets against the royal government.
So why all this trouble? The
discontentment is being caused not by
the tea itself, which is actually pretty
good tea, but by recent actions in the
British Parliament that have disturbed
the colonists.
An expensive tax on British tea
has forced many to purchase tea smug-
gled in by the Dutch, which is less
expensive.
Much of the trouble started
when the British allowed the East
India Company to import tea without
the help of the American merchants.
This seemed like a great idea to them
not only would they be getting taxes
from the tea, but they would also be
helping out their friends at the East
India Company, which is in danger of
bankruptcy. However, even though
this reduced the price of tea, it angered
the Americans who lost their jobs.
The issue of the tea is a reminder
to the colonists that, while Britain is
demanding taxes, it has not given
Americans representation in Parlia-
ment. In the words of Jacob Meyers, a
resident of Boston, "This is ridiculous.
They have no problem with taxation,
but when it comes to representation?
No way, they say, you can't have that!
Well I for one won't stand for this tax-
ation without representation! Some-
thing needs to be done."
What will be the result of all this
tension? Surely there will be a strong
reaction from London, which we will
soon see. Many are calling for a meet-
ing of the thirteen colonies to examine
the situation. Whether the colonies,
which are so diverse, would be in
agreement remains to be seen.
Boston Fights Back!
Volume I, Issue 1, 1774
Locals brew the world's largest cup of tea in the Boston Harbor.
December 17, 1773
$6.95 U.S.
