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The Origin Of Tea Parties
By Don Adams, For The Bulletin
School children learn a simple tale of a civilian protest that occurred in Boston on Dec. 16, 1773. Local men dressed as Indians, using the cover of night, boarded three merchant ships and dumped its contents, British tea, into the Boston Harbor.
What is not taught, however, is that the prelude to the Tea Parties is rooted deeply in Philadelphia history. On Oct. 16, 1773, colonists gathered at the Old State House (now Independence Mall) and passed a series of resolutions condemning “the duty imposed by Parliament upon tea landed in America… .” The resolution went further, calling the duty a tax and “a violent attack upon the liberties” of the colonists.
Three weeks later, at a Faneuil Hall town meeting, Bostonians adopted the same resolutions passed by their “worthy brethren, the citizens of Philadelphia.”
In a little over one month’s time, the infamous Boston Tea Party was underway.
What seems completely lost to successive generations of American school children is the story of the Philadelphia Tea Party. On Dec. 27, 1773, a peaceful throng of 8,000 Philadelphians (the largest colonial gathering up to that point) met in the State House yard to settle the matter of an intercepted British ship called the Polly. The Polly carried a shipment of British tea.
The Philadelphians resolved that “the tea … shall not be landed.” But unlike their Boston counterparts, they decided to send the tea (uncorrupted) up the Delaware River on a return trip to its rightful owners, the East India Company of England.
Today, we face the daunting task of preserving the will and spirit of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. They would not become the tools of government and, of course, neither should we. And when threatened, and pushed to limit, we should follow their example and publicly demonstrate our protestations.
The colonists of 1773 are the inspiration behind the modern Tea Party Movement.
Massive federal bailouts, pork barrel spending and redistribution schemes, totaling trillions of dollars, are threatening to rob hard-working taxpayers and future generations of any chance at the American dream.
We are sending a message to another overbearing national government, one that sits on this side of Atlantic (far too close for comfort), that we will not comply.
Won’t you join me and hundreds of citizens from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware in a rousing Tea Party protest to be held at Independence Mall on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.?
Confirmed speakers include: New Jersey tax reformer, Steve Lonegan; Lieutenant Colonel Scott Rutter; columnist Christine Flowers; Redeem the Vote national president, Pastor Bill Devlin; Heritage Foundation political analyst, Michael Johns; talk show host, Dom Giordano; and Philly’s own, Joey Vento.
Special invited guests include the Honorable Pat Toomey and patriots like you.
The event will feature a We The People Soap Box where you can voice your concerns.
For more information, visit Apr18.blogspot.com.
Don Adams is a freelance writer and native Philadelphian. He can be reached at getsmarty@hotmail.com
What is not taught, however, is that the prelude to the Tea Parties is rooted deeply in Philadelphia history. On Oct. 16, 1773, colonists gathered at the Old State House (now Independence Mall) and passed a series of resolutions condemning “the duty imposed by Parliament upon tea landed in America… .” The resolution went further, calling the duty a tax and “a violent attack upon the liberties” of the colonists.
Three weeks later, at a Faneuil Hall town meeting, Bostonians adopted the same resolutions passed by their “worthy brethren, the citizens of Philadelphia.”
In a little over one month’s time, the infamous Boston Tea Party was underway.
What seems completely lost to successive generations of American school children is the story of the Philadelphia Tea Party. On Dec. 27, 1773, a peaceful throng of 8,000 Philadelphians (the largest colonial gathering up to that point) met in the State House yard to settle the matter of an intercepted British ship called the Polly. The Polly carried a shipment of British tea.
The Philadelphians resolved that “the tea … shall not be landed.” But unlike their Boston counterparts, they decided to send the tea (uncorrupted) up the Delaware River on a return trip to its rightful owners, the East India Company of England.
Today, we face the daunting task of preserving the will and spirit of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. They would not become the tools of government and, of course, neither should we. And when threatened, and pushed to limit, we should follow their example and publicly demonstrate our protestations.
The colonists of 1773 are the inspiration behind the modern Tea Party Movement.
Massive federal bailouts, pork barrel spending and redistribution schemes, totaling trillions of dollars, are threatening to rob hard-working taxpayers and future generations of any chance at the American dream.
We are sending a message to another overbearing national government, one that sits on this side of Atlantic (far too close for comfort), that we will not comply.
Won’t you join me and hundreds of citizens from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware in a rousing Tea Party protest to be held at Independence Mall on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.?
Confirmed speakers include: New Jersey tax reformer, Steve Lonegan; Lieutenant Colonel Scott Rutter; columnist Christine Flowers; Redeem the Vote national president, Pastor Bill Devlin; Heritage Foundation political analyst, Michael Johns; talk show host, Dom Giordano; and Philly’s own, Joey Vento.
Special invited guests include the Honorable Pat Toomey and patriots like you.
The event will feature a We The People Soap Box where you can voice your concerns.
For more information, visit Apr18.blogspot.com.
Don Adams is a freelance writer and native Philadelphian. He can be reached at getsmarty@hotmail.com
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