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The Tea Party movement is a populist branch of conservative Republicans. It opposesgovernment spending, taxation, and regulation. Tea Party members believe that the federal government uses these measures to infringe on Americans' personal libertiesas outlined in the Constitution.

The middle-class makes up 65% of Tea Party members. This percentage is higher than the nations middle-class composition of 50%. More than a third or 37% are college graduates or have advanced education. Only 25% of the countrys population possesses a college or advanced degree. Almost half or 47% are members of the Christian right.Many of them are small business people, who must stay profitable despite narrow margins. Theyseetaxes,regulations, andObamacareas direct threats to their livelihood.

Although they consider themselves full members of the Republican Party, they want to move it back to a more pure form of conservatism. They feel threatened by thenew demographics in America. This was especially symbolized by President Barack Obama's election. They sense theyare becoming a minority regarding their religion, values, and way of life.

The Tea Party's economic platform follows its belief that less government is good. Thefree marketsare the best generator of jobs and economic growth. The Tea Party quotes former President Ronald Reagan, The governments view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

Here are the Tea Party's three primary economic policies:

Eliminate deficit spending and the national debt.During President Obama's term, the Tea Party was serious about reducing government spending. They have not opposed government spending during the Trump administration.

They argued that out-of-control government spending infiltrates the government into Americans' lives. It also devalues the dollar and invites inflation. Tea Party members quotedAlexander Hamilton, who said, As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established.

In 2013, the Partyshut down the governmentand almost refused to raise thedebt ceiling. Why? It wanted to defund Obamacare. It included cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid as part of the conversation.

In August 2011, the Tea Party delayed voting to raise thedebt ceilinguntil $2.2 trillion was cut from spending over the next 10 years in theBudget Control Act of 2011. As a result of a near default on the debt, the S&P lowered theU.S. debt rating from AAA to AA+.

Eliminate excessive taxation.In 2011 the Party opposed Obama'sAmerican Jobs Act. He plannedto fund it through tax increases to those making more than $200,000. He wanted to close tax loopholes for oil companies. Tea Party members argued that the top 10% of earners pay 70% of taxes, while the bottom 46% pay nothing.

Protect free markets.There is some dissension on what this means to various Tea Party members. Some, such as Americans for Prosperity, are forfree trade agreements. Others believethese agreements send jobs overseas.

The Tea Party reflects the values ofAndrew Jackson: self-reliance, individualism,loyalty, and courage. Followers are suspicious of federal power. That's why they are such avid supporters of theSecond Amendment. Therefore, they alsoopposefederal taxesand regulations that hurt small businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit that built America.That makes themanti-elitist. They believe ordinary people are wiser thantheexperts. They thinkseemingly complicated problems have simple solutions.

Most Tea Party members emulate the accomplishments of Reagan's presidency and Reaganomics.Both arebased on supply-side economics. It states that lower taxes will stimulate enoughdemand to replace any lost tax revenues. TheLaffer Curvedemonstrates precisely at which point lower taxes will result in higher tax revenues.But Laffer warnedthat it all depends on how high taxes are. Laffer's "Prohibitive Zone" starts when the tax rate is at 50%. If the rate is lower, then cutting taxes could slow economic growthby increasing the debt.

The Tea Party took its name from the 1773 protests in Boston, where colonists dumped tea into the harbor. They protested "taxation without representation," which the British government imposed on the colonies.

The modern-day Tea Party movement started in 2009. It opposedObama's economic stimulus package, which passed largely without Republican support. On April 15, 2009, many groups throughout the country held protests against Democrats' planned tax increases. The "Tea Party Express" commemorated the9/11 attackswith protest tours from August 28 to September 12, 2009, and then again from October 28 to November 12, 2009.

The party further solidified around opposition to the Affordable Care Act. It passed in March2010, again withoutRepublican support.

The Tea Party swept into power during the mid-term elections in 2010. Tea Party support gained 60 seats in the House of Representatives. That created a Republican majority and a Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Although Republicans won an additional six seats in the Senate, they didn't capture the majority.

This election increased the Republican party's powerenough to negotiate the extension of the Bush tax cuts for two more years. Despite President Obama's objections, they included cuts to those earning $200,000 or more. Tea Party members say these are primarily small business owners.

Some say the Tea Party was started by David H. Koch, head of the conservative "Americans for Prosperity," in coordination with another conservative group, FreedomWorks. Fox TV commentator and author Glenn Beck contributed the "9 principles and 12 values" of the Tea Party in his "9/12 Project." Fox News is also a supporter of Tea Party coverage. The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, co-founded by former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst Michael Johns, is another important proponent.

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Tea Party Movement: Economic Platform, History

The Boston Tea Party was an organized political protest that took place in Boston during the American Revolution.

The following are some facts about the Boston Tea Party:

The Boston Tea Party was an act of protest against the Tea Act of 1773, which had been recently passed by the British Government.

The Boston Tea Party Destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor. Illustration published in A Childs History of the United States circa 1872

During the Boston Tea Party, several hundred participants, including Paul Revere, dressed in disguise, rowed in small boats out to three cargo ships anchored in Boston Harbor, climbed aboard and dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor.

The Boston Tea Party took place on the night of December 16, 1773.

Due to a series of costly wars, the British government was deeply in debt by the late 1700s and hoped to make some much needed money off the sale of British tea in the colonies.

Colonists were drinking 1.2 million pounds of tea a year and it became clear that adding a small tax to this tea could generate a lot of extra money for the government.

The British government passed and then repealed a few tea taxes before it finally passed the Townshend Act of 1767. The Townshend Act placed a tax on all tea sold in the colonies, among other goods.

The colonists resented the governments attempts to make money off them and complained that it was unfair. To appease the colonists, the government repealed the tax on most goods sold in the colony except for the tea tax.

Boston Tea Party, engraving by W.D. Cooper, circa 1789

Then in May of 1773, the British government passed The Tea Act, which allowed for tea to be shipped by British companies duty-free to the North American colonies, thus allowing the companies to sell it for a cheaper price. The tax on tea for colonists still remained though.

One reason behind the tea act was to help save the floundering East India Company, whose tea sales dwindled after the colonists began boycotting British tea.

Another reason behind the tea act was that, since the tea tax was still in place, selling the colonists discounted British tea could be a subtle way to persuade them to comply with the unpopular tax.

The colonists, though, opposed the tax on a matter of principle, not financial cost, so they refused to comply.

Still angry about the unfair tea tax, the colonists refused to let the Dartmouth, a merchant ship filled with tea, dock in Boston harbor at Griffins Wharf in November of 1773.

Boston tea party. Illustration published in From the Boston Massacre to the Surrender of Burgoyne circa 1895

The colonists sent a message to the Custom house to send the ship away without any payment for the tea. The Collector of Customs refused.

Colonists held a meeting at Faneuil Hall on November 29, 1773 but it was moved to the Old South Meeting House to accommodate the large crowd.

At the meeting, the colonists all agreed that the tea should be sent back and the tax should not be paid. They assigned 25 men to guard the docks and prevent the ships from docking while they adjourned the meeting for the next day.

The following day, the colonists met again in the Old South Meeting House and listened to a message delivered via John Copley from the tea company.

The company suggested storing the tea in a warehouse until further instruction from Parliament. This idea was immediately rejected because it would mean paying the tax on the tea once it landed.

The local sheriff, Stephen Greenleaf, then delivered a proclamation from Governor Hutchinson ordering them to stop blocking the ships from landing. The colonists refused to comply with Hutchinsons demands.

In the first week of December, two more tea ships arrived; the Eleanor and the Beaver. The meetings continued while colonists tried to find a way to prevent the ships from docking.

The last meeting was held on December 16 and included over 5,000 people. The colonists sent a message to the governor asking him to allow the ships to return to England without payment.

As the owner of one of the ships, Francis Rotch, left the Old South Meetinghouse to give the governor the message, the colonists waited. When Rotch returned hours later with the governors reply, a definite no, they realized they had run out of options.

Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor lithograph by Nathaniel Currier circa 1846

Little did they know, the Sons of Liberty, a radical political group based in Boston, had anticipated this response and had a secret plan laid out.

Shortly after the governors reply was announced, members of the Sons of Liberty, sitting in the audience, stood up and shouted Hurrah for Griffins Wharf! and Boston Harbor a Teapot Tonight! as they began disguising themselves as Native Americans, and rushed out of the meetinghouse towards the harbor.

Throwing over the tea. Illustration published in a Pictorial History of the United States circa 1857

Other people joined the Sons of Liberty along the way and together the mob rowed out to the ships and dumped 90,000 pounds of tea, about 1 million dollars worth in todays money, into Boston Harbor.

The Boston Tea Party was a brave move that proved the colonists were not to be pushed around. The British government was furious over the protest, with Governor Thomas Hutchinson calling it the boldest stroke that had been struck against British rule in America.

Tea floating in Boston Harbor. Illustration published in From the Boston Massacre to the Surrender of Burgoyne circa 1895

Parliament called it vandalism and Englands attorney generally officially charged a number of patriot leaders, including Samuel Adams and John Hancock, with the crime of high treason and high misdemeanor, even though there is no proof any of them participated in the protest.

John Adams also had not participated but was delighted when he saw the tea in Boston harbor the next morning, according to the book American Tempest: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution:

John Adams, who had been in court in Plymouth for a week and rode back into Boston the morning after the Tea Party, said he did not know any Tea Party participants. As he rode into town, he saw splintered tea chests and huge clots of tea leaves covering the water as far as his eyes could see. They washed ashore along a fifty-mile stretch of coastline as well as on the offshore islands. This, he entered in his diary when he reached his home, is the most magnificent movement of all.There is a dignity, a majesty, a sublimity in this last effort of the Patriots I greatly admire. The people should never rise without doing something to be remembered something notable. And striking. This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting, that I cannot but consider it as an epocha [sic] in history.

Tea floating in Boston Harbor, illustration published in The Boston Tea Party, December 1773, by H.W. McVickar, Josephine Pollard, circa 1882

John Hancock wrote a letter to his London agent a few days later gleefully reporting that New York and Philadelphia were also refusing to let cargo ships carrying tea land there and declared that, No circumstance could possibly have taken place more effectively to unite the colonies than this maneuver of the tea.

Yet, not everyone was impressed by the Boston Tea Party, according to the book American Tempest: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution:

Not many American leaders in the South rallied to the defense of the Boston Tea Party Patriots. Far from uniting colonists, the Tea Party had alienated many property owners, who held private property to be sacrosanct and did not tolerate its destruction or violation. George Washington concluded that Bostonians were mad, and like other Virginians and most Britons, he condemned the Boston Tea Party as vandalism and wanton destruction of private property an unholy disregard for property rights. After the repeal of the Townshend Acts, Virginians saw no reason to persist in boycotting their British countrymen, and they resumed drinking tea

There were, eventually, legal repercussions for the Boston Tea Party. It took a few months but Parliament soon cracked down on Boston, according to the book American Insurgents, American Patriots: The Revolution of the People:

Several months passed before the colonists learned the extent of their punishment. In a series of statutes known as the Coercive Acts, Parliament like so many other uncertain imperial powers over the centuries decided that provocation of this sort justified an overwhelming show of toughness. The punitive legislation closed the port of Boston to all commerce except for coastal trade in basic supplies like firewood, restructured the Massachusetts government in ways that curtailed free speech in town meetings, and filled the colonys council with Crown appointees determined to restore law and order to the troubled commonwealth. To enforce the new system, the Crown dispatched to Boston an army of occupation under the command of General Thomas Gage.

Old South Meeting House, Washington, St., scene of the Boston Tea Party meetings in 1773, Boston, Mass. circa 1910

These Coercive Acts which consisted of several acts, including the Quebec Act, the Quartering Act and two additional Intolerable Acts, made life very difficult for Bostonians and Massachusetts residents.

Morale began to run low, food was scarce and some colonists began to wonder if paying for the destroyed tea might appease the British government.

Fortunately, the other colonies, including Nova Scotia, Georgia and even Virginia, began to send food and supplies to Boston to ease their suffering.

In February of 1775, the British Government passed the Conciliatory Resolution which stated that any colony that wanted to contribute its share of the common defense to parliament would be exempted from further taxes except for regulation of trade.

An attempt at reconciliation was made in 1778 when the British government repealed the tea tax with passage of the Taxation of Colonies Act 1778 but by then it was too late, the colonies were already in the middle of their Revolutionary War with Britain.

We have been much agitated in consequence of the arrival of tea ships by the East India Company, and after every effort was made to induce the consignees to return it from whence it came and all proving ineffectual, in a very few hours the whole of the tea on boardwas thrown into the salt water. The particulars I must refer you to Captain Scott for indeed I am not acquainted with them myself, so as to give detail. No one circumstance could possibly have taken place more effectively to unite the colonies than this maneuver of the tea. John Hancock, letter to his London agent, December 21, 1773

This is the most magnificent movement of all.There is a dignity, a majesty, a sublimity in this last effort of the Patriots I greatly admire. The people should never rise without doing something to be remembered something notable. And striking. This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting, that I cannot but consider it as an epocha [sic] in history. John Adams, diary, December 1773

We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the effects of the water. In about three hours from the time we went on board, we had thus broken and thrown overboard every tea chest to be found in the ship, while those in the other ships were disposing of the tea in the same way, at the same time. We were surrounded by British armed ships, but no attempt was made to resist us. George Hewes, Interview with James Hawkes, 1834

Sources:Unger, Harlow. G. American Tempest: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution. Da Capo Press, 2011Breen. T.H. American Insurgents, American Patriots: The Revolution of the People. Hill and Wang. 2010The Coercive Act. Massachusetts Historical Society, http://www.masshist.org/revolution/coercive.phpGeorge Robert Twelve Hewes. American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, http://www.anb.org/articles/20/20-01899.htmlThe Boston Tea Party. Eyewitness to History. Ibis Communications, Inc., http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/teaparty.htmBoston Tea Party. Mass.gov. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg2terminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=State+Government&L2=About+Massachusetts&L3=Interactive+State+House&L4=Key+Events&sid=massgov2&b=terminalcontent&f=interactive_statehouse_boston_tea_party&csid=massgov2

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The Boston Tea Party - historyofmassachusetts.org

1 : an afternoon social gathering at which tea is served

2 [ from the Boston Tea Party, name applied to the occasion in 1773 when a shipment of tea was thrown into Boston harbor in protest against the tax on imports ] : an exciting disturbance or proceeding

3 usually Tea Party : a 21st century U.S. political movement in favor of lower taxes, fewer government regulations and programs, strict immigration control, and a strong military "Tea Party" has become something of a catch-all term to describe an impassioned and empowered group of populist conservatives. They are largely antigovernment, a lot of them are self-described libertarians, and many say they are new to political activism. It is easy to think of them as a singular entity and a growing one. Mark Leibovich Conservative activists started holding "Tea Party" protests in 2009 to vent outrage over federal stimulus spending, the Wall Street bailout and rising national debt. The movement quickly had an electoral impact, culminating in the 2010 midterm elections when the GOP captured the House. Martha T. Moore

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Tea Party | Definition of Tea Party by Merriam-Webster

The Tea Party are those who possess a strong belief in the Judeo-Christian values embedded in our great founding documents. We believethe responsibility of our beloved nation isetchedupon the hearts of true Patriots from every race, religion, national origin, and walk of lifesharing a common belief in the values which made and keep our beloved nation great. This belief led to the creation of the modern-day Tea Party.

Our millions of members consist of Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents who identify with the premises set forth by the U.S. Constitution and we are striking a chord and ringing true with the American Spirit.

We stand by the Constitution as inherently conservative. We serve as a beacon to the masses who have lost their way, a light illuminating the path to the original intentions of our Founding Fathers. We must have a choir of voices declaringAmerica must stand on the valueswhich made us great, only then will the politically blind see and deaf hear!

By joining the Tea Party, you are taking a stand for our nation. You will be upholding the grand principles set forth in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Reminiscent of Tienanmen Square where a few stood to defy tyranny and demand liberty and democracy, a few patriots stood in protest representing the American people. Weare more than lowly protesters; weare the type of Americans the Founding Fathers envisioned over 240 years ago as true Patriots of courage and valor.

TeaParty.org and others fearless Patriots began to join in our solitary stance; The Tea was brewing! Young and old, wealthy and poor, patriots of all colors and backgrounds began to rally with a new energy, energy reminiscent of pictures in old American History books. Word of mouth began to spread. Citizens began calling loved ones, proclaiming, We The People Rule! many blogged on their laptops, or messaged family and friends. The energy began to sweep across the nation.

The media began to take notice. America was deeply moved, right down to her soul. A new voice began to speak, and a new hope was spawned. Gathering crowds grew from hundreds to thousands, and then swelled to the millions.

As citizens became increasingly frustrated by politics as usual, patriots across America began seeking a new voice, one echoing from the pages of history. What would we name this voice? It soon became obvious, for our very own heritage held the key to unleashing the American Spirit. The Tea Party was the perfect choice. The Tea Party concept was far superior because it removed all the obstacles of party lines along with the baggage of confused issues, and focused only on a few key points.

From this humble beginning a movement was born. The Tea Party Movement, born from obscurity, without funding, without planning, is a spontaneous force shaking the very glass foundation of the oligarchy which rules in our name but without our blessing.

We took our stand, thousands joined, and then millions assembled across our beloved nation. Today, tens of millions of Patriot voices resonate in unisonWe The People Rule!In spite of ongoing hateful ridicule we stood our post, day by day, month by month and now year in and year out. We will not stop.

Needless to say, this Tea Party Movement has grown far beyond belief, from a handful of brave Patriots to tens of millions. Many have been declared as the founder of the modern-day Tea Party; to that we can say: The true founders of the Tea Party were the brave Patriots who dared challenge the status quo in 1773; we are merely their beneficiaries.

Many of Americas dilemmas lay squarely on the shoulders of We The People but we must not define ourselves by the calamities in our lives, but by our resolve to pick up the pieces and keep marching. The power of a few can change a nation, save a people and illuminate a generation.

Commonsense, Conservative, Constitutional Self-Governance Is Our Mode Of Operation. Yes, we are aJudeo/Christian nation. However, you do not have to be Jewish or Christian to enjoy freedom. The Tea Party welcomes all red-blooded U.S. Citizens and those who legally reside in our beloved nation.

TeaParty.org is the only Tea Party organization praised by Dr. Michael Savage in his book, Trickle Up Poverty, pages 18 through 24. The book is highly recommended!

We may be old fashioned, but we believe it is not foolish to pledge our lives, liberty and sacred honor to the greatest nation that ever was or ever will be. The nation of the people, by the people and for the people, to that we shall strive to carry forward the mantle of the Tea Party, keeping alive the voice of freedom.

May God Bless America

Steve Eichler J.D.President of the Tea Party/TeaParty.org

Steve Eichler Esq.

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About Tea Party | Tea Party

When thinking about tea parties, do you find yourself overwhelmed with thoughts of the British gentry, scenes from Alice in Wonderland, Victorian decor, blue-haired ladies and pinky fingers stuck up in the air? If so, you're both right and wrong. You're right because as the tradition of "Afternoon" Tea has developed over time, it has become an elegant affair. You're wrong because "High" Tea was often enjoyed by the British working class as their evening supper, with heartier fare than the tea sandwiches and scones that are now associated with tea parties.

As the custom has evolved, tea time is usually scheduled from mid to late afternoon. It's a between meal snack that is a lot more elegant than a bag of chips from the vending machine. It needn't be extremely fussy, although the meal often includes savory, bite-size sandwiches, scones or biscuits, and sweets (along with a good pot of tea, of course!) Both men and women enjoy afternoon tea in England, and it's often used as a function for entertaining business clients.

An Afternoon Tea Party is suitable for many celebrations. When you'd like to host a party that isn't as involved as a dinner party, a tea party can be the answer. It's an ideal format for a bridal or baby shower, a retirement party, a birthday celebration, or time to catch up with good friends. The food is prepared before your guests arrive, and is either presented buffet style or by passing plates of goodies at the table. The only thing you need to serve is the tea itself, leaving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy your guests. Your guest list can include dozens of people or only one good friend with whom you'd like to share an intimate conversation. It can be a very formal affair as you'll find at some of the more elegant hotels, or it can be as casual as a pot of tea and some cookies.

Whatever your reason for hosting your next tea party, enjoy a cup for me!

In many parts of the world, tea time is an honored tradition of refinement and elegance. When you're planning a tea partywhether for a shower, graduation, birthday, or just for funadorn your table with your best china, silver, and linens. These add polish and grace to the occasion, and in our "paper cup" world they remind us fondly of earlier times.

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How to Host an Afternoon Tea Party - The Spruce