Liberty or Death: Boston Tea Party

I learned about the Boston Tea Party through education as a young person. It remained a sketchy memory of colonists throwing boxes of British tea from ships docked in the Boston Harbor in 1773. It seemed like vandalism by rowdy men and a waste of good tea worth a lot, at the time.

My understanding was broadened significantly by viewing this short film series. The "tea party" was the starting point of the British American colonies' separation from the authoritarian British monarchy and parliament. No person lost their life. The plan and its accomplishment were a masterpiece headed by Samuel Adams and John Hancock, both early patriots of the colonies.

Its underlying driving force was a revolt over a tax on tea. Tea then was used daily by most colonists as a stimulant in a demanding environment. The tax was a ploy by the realm of the British Empire to control its American colonies. Most in the colonies detested this expensive tax without there being any opportunity for them to be represented in the decision making.

The plan of the insurrection was masterfully devised and flawlessly completed. At most it was miraculous and at least very lucky. The resultant heavy handed military response of the British led to the formation of the American Continental Congress. This initiated civil war in 1775. In 1776 the colonies declared independence from Britian and formed the United States of America. The treaty of 1783 formalized the victory of the colonies and granted them independence from Britain.

As such this was far from an isolated "tea party". It was one of the major events shaping the history of the USA. It left me with the feeling that the designation "tea party" was an understatement of a momentous event.