Boston Tea Party

Written by our St. Pete Site Leader, Addy Green

On the evening of December 16th, 1773, a group of men known as the Sons of Liberty engaged in a now legendary act of protest. After months of demanding representation from Great Britain’s Parliament to justify the taxation they’d been forced to pay, they had reached the end of their rope. Their response to the rallying cry “no taxation without representation” was to throw thousands of pounds of tea in the Boston Harbor, thus causing an escalating chain of events eventually leading to the Revolutionary War. This event, as we all know, was called the Boston Tea Party.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the dumping of 92,000 pounds of tea into the harbor.

For reference, 92,000 pounds would make roughly 18.5 million teabags. 

For the colonists, this was an act that meant treason to The Crown, and thus required the utmost secrecy. To this day, it is known that at a minimum 116 people participated in the event. Many of the Boston Tea Party participants fled Boston immediately after the destruction of the tea to avoid arrest and some simply took their participation to their graves. With the revolution hot on the tails of the Boston Tea Party, Britain was intent on enacting swift punishment on the City of Boston.

The Crown insisted that the ports be closed, prompting Benjamin Franklin to offer to pay for the tea that was dumped so long as the harbor was opened again. Despite his considerable wealth, the British refused such an offer.

The British East India Company reported £9,659 worth of damage caused by the Boston Tea Party (in today’s money more than $1,700,000 USD). There were five different teas thrown overboard: two green teas and three black teas. Contained on the ship were 240 chests of Bohea, 15 of Congou, 10 of Souchong, 60 of Singlo, and 15 of Hyson shipped from China.

In the Fujian Province of China rests the Wuyi Mountains. This was the birthplace of the most common, and notable teas of Colonial America, but also home to hundreds of tea gardens. These gardens are still active today with the most notable production of tea being oolongs. 

Bohea and Souchong were the bold black teas that grew in these Wuyi Mountains. Bohea (pronounced boo-hee) was one of the least expensive tea offerings of the time, making it also one of the most popular. This tea was produced using tea leaves picked after the springtime harvest, making for a stronger cup of tea.

A variety that was known for more than just its strength and ability to be taken with milk, Souchong teas were also known for their smokey quality. Tea leaves would have arrived with a rich smokey scent due to the way the leaves were smoked over pine-fire in their drying process, and still are to this day.

Like its cousins, Congou was a rich black tea that showcased Chinese craftsmanship in tea production, and it should as it’s in the name. The term Congou refers to a tea being made with the highest mastery or artful skill to produce tea leaves that do not break. The finesse in processing left a delicate note of baked apple on the leaves that went down smooth and sweet.

Though black tea was common for pairing with milk, some of the most popular teas amongst the Founding Fathers were the vegetal, earthy greens. For both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, the Hyson Green Tea was a staple. This spring harvest was dubbed “young hyson” due to the early pick, yielding a thicker body than most green teas with a subtle smoky finish.

Similarly, the fifth and final tea thrown over was the Singlo. This green tea is pan fried and cured, yielding a similar flavor to our Jade Clouds and Mist. It has been theorized that this shipment of tea to have been thrown into the harbor was the first of its kind brought to the colonies.

Though the events of the Boston Tea Party were memorable, and propelled the United States into its revolution, the social impact that it had on tea is undeniable. This boycotting of tea imports into the colonies lead to the further exploration of tea culture. 

Leading up to the Boston Tea Party and for some time after, colonists still drinking British imported teas were accused of being Loyalists. True Patriots of the time would find themselves sipping on “Liberty Teas” instead. A subsitute for tea, these herbal infusions were a way for people to still have something reminiscent of their black and green tea. This has been a trend that has continued through beverage culture in the US and has expanded past just mint and florals.

Tea was eventually imported back into the US, scratching the itch that other beverages could not. Due to its high importation costs compared to coffee from South America, tea has seen more competition since. 

Today, some of the surviving historical elements from the events on that December night are on display in Boston, Mass. From the Robinson tea crate, a vial of tea, and some of Paul Revere’s teaware, Boston has some of the most historically significant artifacts related to tea culture in the US.