In the novel, Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America, the author Benjamin L. Carp gives an incredibly in-depth description of the events of the Boston tea party. In the Introduction, Carp argues that the “party” was not a singular event, but rather a catalyst for the impending Revolution. He presents each chapter as a new aspect of the event while offering primary sources, letters, newspapers, and magazines as compelling evidence. Each chapter is focused on a very specific topic and perfectly leads to the next. Carp gives the reader a concise layout of context, causes, proceedings, and the aftermath of this rebellious show of resolve and determination. By giving the reader the political and cultural …show more content…
Because of this, it is easy to see why wealthy and prominent figures such as Thomas Hutchinson – who would later become governor – were so hated by the lower classes. They were the people who would vote in favor of bills that make smuggling goods more costly and difficult. In addition to the distaste for the affluent, Carp also brings attention to the effectiveness of Boston “crowding”. Society in Boston, being tight-quartered and boisterous, gave way to a close town of friends. The Bostonian’s would often band together for such rowdy times as Pope’s Day. This annual celebration of destruction and effigies were often duplicated when the colonist met a rise in price or an unfriendly customs officer. One can only imagine the reaction when the Stamp Act was passed. Merchants, artisans, and the lower class all collaborated to violently oppose this act. Carp views this as the foreshadowing of the tea party and many of the Bostonian’s first brush with opposing Parliament. One of the largest points that the author makes is the significance of tea to the people in the colonies. While there were many who thought that tea was evil and caused health issues, the overwhelming majority of colonist were obsessed. Tea was something new and seen as a luxury item. It took a six-month voyage for the EIC to bring to the precious leaves to Boston. Once there, it was auctioned to those who could afford it. While the bourgeoisie sipped their tea and
The following paper, through the mind and words of a fictionalized character, examines the crucial issues and various changes the imperial relationship between Great Britain and its North American colonies underwent in the mid-to-late eighteenth century. Drawing upon various historical events and enactments, the story of Gerald Gardner, a Bostonian merchant, will try to synthesize these events and provide a reflection upon the American Revolution from the point-of-view of those who shared his line of work. While the following opinions expressed display the feelings and attitudes of one man, the same cannot be applied historically to all of the merchant class. The characters and
American Tempest: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked A Revolution written by Harlow Giles Unger offers an in-depth analysis of the Boston Tea Party. Unger organizes the events in chronological order starting 30 years before the Boston Tea Party occurred. In the end he touches upon the aftermath of the journey towards self-government. The book presents many engaging details and provides the reader with more of a storytelling feel. He describes the colonists hard times and anger towards being taxed by British Parliament. Unger adds insights and conclusions about various topics and the people surrounding the rebellion, which was one of his goals in his writing. He wanted to tell of the untold Tea Party 's impact on American history politically, socially, and economically. The book was intended for the general public, because he wrote “ironically, few, if any Americans today… know the true and entire story of the Tea Party and the Patriots who staged it” (4).
You might think that the Boston Tea Party was just some irregular people dumping tea in the sea. But, actually it was a protest about the awful taxes that were put on the British tea. So, a group of patriots called the Sons of Liberty decided to dump the tea into the Boston Harbor. The Sons of Liberty and colonists wanted to prove a point that the taxes were atrocious and the British’s taxes on the tea were stealing their business. They indeed dumped tea into the sea, but the whole point was to protest the British and their taxes. The Sons of Liberty were the people who did the tea dumping process and the tea
This book, “The Shoemaker and The Tea Party” is split into two different sections. The first part is about the events that happened in Boston through the eyes of George Robert Twelves Hewes. The second part is written about the Author, Alfred Young, who asks the question “When Did They Start Calling It the Boston Tea Party”. This book is written about the memory that Hewes had of the many events that he participated in. These events included the Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, and the tarring and feathering of people. The recollections of Hewes helped Americans to realize that we are all equal, and all capable of doing great things to help our country.
Robert Gross’ The Minutemen and Their World examines a town 's role in the events of the colonial revolution. Specifically that of Concord, Massachusetts in the years before, during and after the Revolution. Gross provides details about the inner workings of town politics, religion, and society for the period. He notes how town’s people’s rivalries and religious fissures occupied the townspeople through the prerevolutionary period. Gross details how Concord was largely absent from the pre-Revolutionary activities of other communities, and then the unification process that occurred as conflict grew closer. By analyzing specific events in the town’s history Goss is able to draw conclusions about why certain events took place leading up to
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts on December 16, 1773. The citizens of the colonies felt cheated due to the lack of representation in Parliament which caused unfair taxes colonists could not do anything about. In their opinion, they were British citizens as well and deserved the same rights given to those back in the mother country and to not have “virtual representation” where members of Parliament were chosen to speak for those across the sea instead of an election to decide who holds their seat in office. Therefore, when a shipment of highly overpriced tea, due to taxes, docked at the harbor, the Sons of Liberty paraded in dressed as American Indians and in a matter of three hours
Civil disobedience, which is when a person or a group of people protest against laws, taxes, etc. in a peaceful manner, has been displayed many times in the past. One of these instances included a memorable American event: the Boston Tea Party. During the Revolutionary War (1770s), Britain had colonization of America, commonly referred to as the Thirteen Colonies. The British East India Company, who performed commerce with Asia, were having monetary issues, so they needed to find a way to get revenue. In May 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the BEIC a portion of the American tea trade. However, this act did not put colonists at ease, because even the cheapest sellers could have lost business to the company (who now had better
Many things might have contributed to the colonist’s revolution against the British. The Boston Tea Party may have been the breaking point for Lord North and King George. What happened was the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk indians and boarded the tea ships to toss the crates of tea into the sea. King George was not happy about the situation and passed a series of laws which the colonists referred to as “The Intolerable Acts.”
The British provided sources of entertainment and ways to see information like newspapers and other forms of entertainment, but charged us a hefty amount. Many of us wanted to complain but we were not allowed to have a seat on the British Parliament. Without this, we have no way of communicating our problems. How could the British tax us without having someone to represent us? We were being taxed without representation and we were tired of it! The British had taken off all the taxes except tea, and that was not enough. With no fair ruling, we took matters into our own hands and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor.
The Boston Massacre is one of the most controversial events in American history that occurred in Boston before the American Revolution. Certainly, it has a fundamental role in the development of America as a nation, which led it to have a huge motivation for revolution. A heavy British military presence and having very high taxes in the country were some of the main reasons that made Boston citizens very irritated. Thus, there were already many disagreements and tensions between inhabitants and the British that could have led to the Massacre. In this essay, I will carefully analyze three primary sources, and compare these to the interpretation given by HBO’s John Adams. In my view, these sources can be
The freezing streets of Boston in March awaited the spring. The snow covered the streets like a blanket on a cold night. The lobster backs roamed the city forcefully searching sacred hospitality. Meanwhile John Adams is fighting a verbal war in the courthouse as a defensive act for the soldiers. Mr. Adams so happens to be a prominent attorney. The mobs are furious with the crown and what it’s done to Boston. A crackle can be heard for “5 have died” the town crier implies. This chaos all started when the crown sent the Townsend Acts 3,209 miles across the Atlantic only to fuel Bostons already lit fire. The aftermath of the massacre revealed seeds of revolution to be planted in the soil of
Thomas Hutchinson, chief justice and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, despite his goal to prevent passage of the dreaded Stamp Act, was violently hated by the people of Boston. In the middle of dinner on August 26, 1765, the most violent mob in the history of America attacked the mansion of Governor Hutchinson. If he and his family had not fled the table and escaped their home, they might not have lived through the ordeal. But, why would an angry Boston mob ransack the home of man who wanted to better the lives of the people?
The American revolution had many twists and turns for the people that lived through it and some people had more of an impacted on its outcome than others. The story of “The Shoemaker and the Tea Party” traces the life a Bostonian by the name of George Robert Twelves Hewes that played a key role in supporting the revolution. The author of this story, Alfred F. Young, recounts Hewes experiences in the form of a biography explaining multiple account that Hewes was involved in. Young travels through the life of Hewes and recounts the years surrounding the start of the American Revolution in extreme detail. The article shows the progression of Hewes as an influential political leader, promotes the decisions of America through the revolution, illustrates the political drive behind the revolution, and has multiple intriguing accounts of other members of the revolution.
The partial repeal of the obnoxious taxes failed entirely to produce the effect intended. Rioting did not cease, and the worst kind of agitators in America found u help to inflaming popular feeling in the "Boston massacre," an affray between the soldiers and the mob in which three of the latter were killed and a half-a-dozen more were wounded. A Boston jury acquitted the soldiers of blame, but when passions have been excited such occurrences acquire a fictitious colour and a fictitious importance. Still, for some time the agitation only simmered; the colonials, for the most part, contented themselves with refusing
American history is full of battles and freedom fighters. From the Boston tea party to voting rights. America fought against a king who was unfair and unjust. They may have had a civil war but it was also for the idea that rights were being taken away. The country has many amazing historical characters that made it the country it is today. This paper will discuss the Boston Tea Party, George Washington’s inaugural address, his warnings upon leaving office as well as the Boston Massacre, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and John Adams on voting rights.