What About That Tea Party?

[OldTrapper]

We hear a lot about the Tea Party, however, how many know the true history of the Boston Tea Party?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/15-10

The real Boston Tea Party was a protest against huge corporate tax cuts for the British East India Company, the largest trans-national corporation then in existence. This corporate tax cut threatened to decimate small Colonial businesses by helping the BEIC pull a Wal-Mart against small entrepreneurial tea shops, and individuals began a revolt that kicked-off a series of events that ended in the creation of The United States of America.

They covered their faces, massed in the streets, and destroyed the property of a giant global corporation. Declaring an end to global trade run by the East India Company that was destroying local economies, this small, masked minority started a revolution with an act of rebellion later called the Boston Tea Party.

 

[dogtowner]

Of course the new tea tax directly on the imported tea was specifically what was to harm the tea merchants and the cause of it all was smuggled dutch tea mainly in England but also here and a considerable discount as it was not subject to the 25% tax that Jolly Olde levied on BEIC as the dutch did not have such a tax. This became something new a tax without representation which the english subjects here took umbrage at.

By the way you did know that the contemporary version is T.E.A. Party as in Taxed Enough Already right ? Also a somewhat revolutionary idea.

 

[Cruella]

So your all blaming this on the Tea Party?

 

[Texas_tea]

So your all blaming this on the Tea Party?

No ....

Just more mindless drivel parroted by our brainless low informed socialist friend.

All evidence at this point, points to a middle eastern style attack. But don't think that the MSM will not use this opportunity to blame Conservatives, the TEA Party or any other opposition to their sick Marxist agenda and fully expect it to be parroted by our brainless socialist idiot members!

The news is so predictable these days .....

 

[dogtowner]

uh kids... I dont see where he was trying to connect the dots as you seem to think.

sure he wants to try to divert attention away from this as it killing the fizzling buzz of gun control but thats not really the same thing.

got to leave it to CommonDreams to come up with this sort of thing.

 

[OldTrapper]

Interesting the comments some people will make regarding my intent. However, my intent was to help yougain the ability to actually learn something even if it goes against your myths, or beliefs. All of these posts denigrating what I posted, and the not one attempting any form of rebuttal. Of course, since none of you actually read the site you would not have noticed it actually provides its own support, here is more.

http://www.boston-tea-party.org/anti-globalization2.html

A pamphlet was circulated through the colonies called The Alarm and signed by an enigmatic “Rusticus.” One issue made clear the feelings of colonial Americans about England’s largest transnational corporation and its behavior around the world:

“Are we in like Manner to be given up to the Disposal of the East India Company, who have now the Assurance, to step forth in Aid of the Minister, to execute his Plan, of enslaving America? Their Conduct in Asia, for some Years past, has given simple Proof, how little they regard the Laws of Nations, the Rights, Liberties, or Lives of Men. … Fifteen hundred Thousands, it is said, perished by Famine in one Year, not because the Earth denied its Fruits; but [because] this Company and their Servants engulfed all the Necessaries of Life, and set them at so high a Rate that the poor could not purchase them.”

The pamphleteering worked

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2191228/posts

The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation. In response, Parliament retracted the taxes with the exception of a duty on tea - a demonstration of Parliament's ability and right to tax the colonies.

In May of 1773 Parliament concocted a clever plan. They gave the struggling East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea to America. Additionally, Parliament reduced the duty the colonies would have to pay for the imported tea. The Americans would now get their tea at a cheaper price than ever before.

However, if the colonies paid the duty tax on the imported tea they would be acknowledging Parliament's right to tax them. Tea was a staple of colonial life - it was assumed that the colonists would rather pay the tax than deny themselves the pleasure of a cup of tea.

The colonists were not fooled by Parliament's ploy. When the East India Company sent shipments of tea to Philadelphia and New York the ships were not allowed to land. In Charleston the tea-laden ships were permitted to dock but their cargo was consigned to a warehouse where it remained for three years until it was sold by patriots in order to help finance the revolution.

After turning back the Company’s ships in Philadelphia and New York, Hewes writes, “In Boston the general voice declared the time was come to face the storm.”

He writes about the sentiment among the colonists who opposed the naked power and wealth of the East India Company and the British government that supported them: “Why do we wait? they exclaimed; soon or late we must engage in conflict with England. Hundreds of years may roll away before the ministers can have perpetrated as many violations of our rights, as they have committed within a few years. The opposition is formed; it is general; it remains for us to seize the occasion. The more we delay the more strength is acquired by the ministers. Now is the time to prove our courage, or be disgraced with our brethren of the other colonies, who have their eyes fixed upon us, and will be prompt in their succor if we show ourselves faithful and firm.