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How I wish history could be taught like this in schools, where it is desperately needed. Many immigrants know more about our governmental processes than those born here. American education must include civics classes emphasizing that we are a nation of laws and explaining how that works. This event awakened my sense of responsibility at holding government accountable as it becomes more ideologically tone-deaf.

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The crowd at Atlantic Wharf cried, Huzzah! as costumed reenactors decried injustices. I can almost hear this cry becoming the new Bostonian shout at sporting events.

Marilee Meyer

Cambridge

As a former college professor who had a yearly lecture called, Was the American Revolution inevitable? Could we have been Canada? I give two thumbs up to Jeff Jacobys take on the Boston Tea Party (The Boston Tea Party was a crime, Opinion, Dec. 14). As Jacoby rightly pointed out, many people of the time were doubtful of the whole endeavor. He also mentions the way he was taught about the event as a heroic blow for freedom, inspired by a righteous opposition.

What happened in between the events of Dec. 16, 1773, and Jacobys time in the classroom was the 19th century. Only decades after what participants called the Destruction of the Tea, or the Destruction of the Accursed Tea, did the nighttime raid become known as the Boston Tea Party. By the 1830s, events and people around the patriot cause and the subsequent Revolution were regarded with reverence and even as guided by divine providence. That included reducing an act of extralegal violence to something as domestic, as unthreatening, as a tea party.

In our current exhibit, The Dye is cast: Interests and Ideals that Motivated the Boston Tea Party, we aim to restore the complexity that Jacoby points out by focusing on six individuals with various loyalties and perspectives. This event meant something different for everyone. Other historical institutions around town, notably Revolutionary Spaces, are taking on these very questions with programs, exhibits, and interactive events.

As the Commonwealth gets ready to commemorate the 250th anniversary of events leading up to the Revolution, continuing through 2026, we need to remember that we 21st-century Americans are inheritors of those 19th-century traditions. Lets embrace complexity and deepen our understanding of the past and the many lessons of history.

Catherine Allgor

President

Massachusetts Historical Society

Boston

In a recent column, Jeff Jacoby condemns the massive and costly act of vandalism that was carried out in the Boston Tea Party, and he extends that concern over destruction of property to modern protest movements.

What was terrible about the Boston Tea Party, Jacoby says, was its financial impact. The dumped tea cost nearly $2 million in todays money. Poor East India Company. Later he writes that destroying other peoples property to advance a political cause is wrong whether the cause is racial equity, climate change, opposing a war, overturning an election, or denouncing Wall Street. It is wrong in 2023 and it was wrong in 1773.

Is it, though?

The Boston Tea Party wasnt so much about tea as it was about the fact that those affected by British laws had no say. Hence the slogan no taxation without representation. Similarly, many citizens today dont feel they have a say in government. Our laws are written by lobbyists; presidents, members of Congress, and justices are bought by billionaires. Our collective voice is subverted. When traditional routes for change are useless and the government is deaf to peoples demands, why not go after the coffers? Even if that means dumping some tea.

Ian Evans

Boston

We can all be thankful that the patriots who dumped er, damaged tea in Boston Harbor on Dec. 16, 1773, were not named the Sons of Asking Permission.

John Bluthardt

Boston

If Jeff Jacoby thinks the Boston Tea Party was a crime, wait until he finds out about Lexington and Concord.

Ken Johnson

Easton

Continue reading here:
What to keep and what to toss in how we view the Boston Tea Party - The Boston Globe

Paul Petrick

By: Paul Petrick

Updated: 2 days ago / Posted Dec 22, 2023

We can sarcastically thank Benjamin Franklin for reminding us of the inevitability of death and taxes. But genuine gratitude is due another Founding Father whose objection to the latter established a new precedent in human historythe tax revolt. The historical record is unclear as to Samuel Adams precise role in the Boston Tea Party, but Adams was undoubtedly the foremost apologist for what took place in Beantown 250 years ago this month. The destruction of 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company by an unknown number of the Sons of Liberty was described by Adams as an action of pure and upright principle.

The taxes that Adams protested were not onerous. Tea was taxed at the low rate of three cents per pound. Adams rebelled against the notion that Parliament had the power to tax the American colonists absent American participation in Parliament. Since then, we have traded the low, nonconsensual taxes of the 18th Century for the high, consensual taxes of the 21st. How did this happen?

It happened because American taxpayers are still inadequately represented. Sure, every taxpayer in the 50 states is entitled to one U.S. representative and two senators. But representation on Pennsylvania Avenue is not as important as representation on K Street. Among the capitals lobbying corps, only one man represents the general interest amidst the innumerable special interests. That man is Grover Norquist.

Like Adams, Norquist is a Bostonian who, despite undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard, lives modestly. He also shares with Adams a singular focus on making government accountable to taxpayers. Since 1985, Norquist has carried out that mission as the president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), an organization founded at President Ronald Reagans direction to build support for what became the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

That landmark legislation lowered marginal tax rates and consolidated tax brackets through the elimination of tax deductions and credits. It was a rare triumph of the general interest over the special interests.

Even as a young man, Norquist was wise to the ways of Washington. He knew that because special interests are concentrations of power and the general interest is diffuse, any 1986-like victory for taxpayers is in danger of being rolled back. To counter this inherent disadvantage, Norquist provided taxpayers with a method of self-defense called the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.

With elegant simplicity, the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, or simply The Pledge, is a straightforward, no loophole contract offered by ATR to every state and federal office seeker. It is an opportunity for politicians to make a written commitment to taxpayers that they will not support any net tax increases. Politicians are keen on avoiding responsibility for actions that draw the voters ire. The Pledge gives taxpayers an indispensable metric by which to hold their elected representatives accountable.

Adams spent much of his time organizing secret meetings and committees of correspondence to coordinate opposition to Parliament throughout the 13 colonies. For the last 30 years, Norquist has presided over an invitation-only meeting every Wednesday at ATR headquarters in Washington for activists strategizing to protect taxpayers from the relentless abuse of the spending interests. Analogs to the Wednesday Meeting now exist in almost every state and in many foreign countries.

Like the Wednesday Meeting, The Pledge has also gone international. Javier Milei, the newly-elected president of Argentina, enthusiastically signed The Pledge on national television.

At every congressional budget fight, Norquist is excoriated by the spending interests for having the temerity to advocate for American taxpayers. Despite his best efforts, taxpayers routinely lose out to the special interest spending project du jour. But the spirit of Samuel Adams is alive in Norquists efforts to make government accountable to taxpayers by giving them a voice among the cacophony of calls for more government spending. And wherever that struggle is replicated around the world, the American Revolution rolls on.

Paul F. Petrick is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio.

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The 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party - Rochelle News Leader

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Robert Rupp: A tea party 250 years ago (Opinion) - Charleston Gazette-Mail

250 years ago this Dec. 16, a group of American Patriots, fed up with being exploited by the British Monarchy, participated in an act of rebellion that would eventually culminate in the Revolutionary War.

This Dec. 16 in Willimantic, a modern group of patriots gathered to reenact the Boston Tea Party.

On this very day 250 years ago, men, and one woman, were finishing up their chores before heading to the Old South Meetinghouse, said Bev York, representing the America Museum, which sponsored the event.

The Loyal Nine, a Patriot political organization shrouded in secrecy, was formed in 1765 by nine citizens of Boston to protest the passing of the Stamp Act. The Loyal Nine evolved into the larger group The Sons of Liberty, the group given credit for the Boston Tea Party.

York went on to describe the origins of the event, which arose from dissatisfaction with the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes, apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. The act gave the East India Company, which York identified as the largest company in existence at the time, an unfair advantage over Colonial merchants.

In response, The Sons of Liberty, some disguised as Native Americans, dumped 342 chests of tea, valued at well over a million dollars today, according to York, into Boston Harbor.

There were similar events in New York City and Philadelphia. In Boston, colonists were punished by the closing down of Boston Harbor and the addition of more soldiers for protection.

The surrounding communities did now grow enough food to feed Boston, said York, noting that residents of Windham actually walked more than 200 sheep to Boston to help feed the city.

The Intolerable Acts, in addition to closing Boston Harbor, included the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. The dissatisfaction and anger felt by colonists continued to fester until Lexington and Concord became the fist actual battle of the Revolutionary War.

Many of the folks who participated in the Tea Party would go on to fight and die in the Revolutionary War, said York.

With calls of Boston Harbor a teapot tonight, and No taxation without representation, the modern-day patriots threw their crates of tea, into the Willimantic River.

Participants in the event had different reasons for attending.

Somers resident Ryan Elgin said that he received a direct email from Bev York, whom he met at a museum opening earlier this year. He said he attended because he has a special interest in museums and history in general.

Im a good friend of Bev and Duke (York), said Bob Hackemack, who had been assigned the role Henry Prentiss, a Boston merchant.

According to York, there were between 60 and several hundred people who attended the original Boston Tea Party, and only some of the names of participants are known to this day.

Francis Akeley, for example, is known to be the only person imprisoned for the act of treason. Akeley eventually died in the war.

Sarah Bradlee is the only woman known to have attended, and reportedly came up with the idea of the patriots disguising themselves as Natives.

The America Museum is located at 47 Crescent St. in Willimantic. The museum seeks to have visitors reflect upon and understand the events, struggles and sacrifices for freedom, equality, and democracy, according to its website.

Americans must acknowledge and honor the brave, relish our victories, study the failures, help heal the scars, and ensure that we learn from the past, continues the description.

See the museums website, at americamuseum.org, for information about exhibits and upcoming events.

Dennis Gagnon holds a "torch" as he participates in a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party, held in Willimantic's Heritage Park on Dec. 16, the 250th anniversary of the original tea party. (Melanie Savage)

Bev York speaks to a crowd gathered in Heritage Park to reenact the Boston Tea Party. The event, sponsored by the America Museum, was held on Dec. 16, the 250th anniversary of the original tea party. (Melanie Savage)

Bev York oversees a sign-in table at a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party on Dec. 16. (Melanie Savage)

A "crate of tea" sits by the shore of the Willimantic River. (Melanie Savage)

David Stoloff hurls a crate of "tea" into the Willimantic River. (Melanie Savage)

Anita Sebastyen dressed appropriately for the event. (Melanie Savage)

Read the rest here:
America Museum sponsors reenactment of the Boston Tea Party - Hartford Courant

In a space normally occupied by twenty desks arranged in a precise order, AP Literature and Composition teacher Lisa Otsuka transformed her classroom into a scene straight out of Bridgerton. Five tables are arranged inside, each with tasteful decorations including framed Pride and Prejudice quotes (My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever), bouquets of flowers, a delightful assortment of books, ceramic teapots, and freshly-picked oranges. Soft piano music plays in the background as students chat amongst themselves over tea and scones.

The Pride and Prejudice tea party occurs every year at the end of the first semester. Otsukas students read the famous Jane Austen novel, which explores themes of love, class, familial obligations, marriage, and of course, sarcastic British remarks. The plot centers around the Bennets, a genteel class family in 18th century England, and the arrival of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, two wealthy landowners from Pemberley and Netherfield, respectively. The focus of the novel is the relationship between the Bennets second eldest daughter, Elizabeth, and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth is known for her witty and sarcastic remarks, which explains why Otsukas students honor her character by writing a satire of their own. Their topics varied from the arduous college application process to problematic desk designs.

The tea party is held on a block day. The first 30 minutes of class are spent enjoying one anothers company. Students are seated in small groups and are encouraged to catch up and chat with one another while they snack on scones, tea, hot cocoa, and butter cookies, provided by the students themselves. In the wise words of Otsuka, the party was BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug); each student brought their own mug, often at least somewhat representative of their personality. Class favorites were senior Jude Wilsons mug featuring Sal from Impractical Jokers and senior Carlos Myers-Ascencios mug with a charming narwhal.

The next half an hour is dedicated to the reading of satires. Each student was tasked with writing a satirical passage about a subject of their choosing prior to the tea party. Every attendee presents their satire to their own table, then the funniest (or most interesting) ones are read aloud to the class. Senior Kevin Jiang said regarding the party, The satires were really fun, and later added, Ive had five cups of tea so far. The readings are interspersed with class karaoke, which featured the AP Literature students belting out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and the fan-favorite Dancing Queen by ABBA. Wilson also entertained the class with a plethora of guitar performances ranging from Radiohead to Ed Sheeran.

Given that the novel is set in 18th-century England, it only makes sense to hold a British accent contest. Each table nominates an individual whom they think has the best impression of a British accent. Then, the chosen one says their phrase aloud to the class, and the class determines the winner. From Otsukas 4th period, the winner was Minh Nguyen, with his short and sweet phrase, Poppycock!, which was only made more realistic by the presence of a top hat and spectacles. He truly looked like the protagonist of a Dickens novel.

The ambience of the whole event can be summed up in the wise words of Eduardo Sanchez, who said, It was wonderfully delightful.

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Pride and Prejudice: Tea Party With Otsuka - The M-A Chronicle