250 years later, Boston Tea Party offers business lessons Providence Business News
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250 years later, Boston Tea Party offers business lessons - Providence Business News
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A reenactor waits for the cue to walk up the stairs to the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon for the performance of Charlestons Tea Party protest on Dec. 2, 2023, in Charleston. It is the 250th anniversary of the event, when Charlestonians seized and stored tea in the Exchange Building without paying the tax. Gavin McIntyre/Staff
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Photos: Charleston celebrates 250th anniversary of 1776 Tea Party - The Post and Courier
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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)
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America Museum sponsors reenactment of the Boston Tea Party - Hartford Courant
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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
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