The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18063   Message #1049453
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
06-Nov-03 - 04:12 PM
Thread Name: Boston Tea Party - lie or myth?
Subject: RE: Boston Tea Party - lie or myth?
A brief look in American Memory found several songs. but they are all after the fact, some written on the centenary of the event. I also wonder why there are no songs.

An interesting article on the event from the Boston Gazette, Dec. 20, 1773, enlarging on posts above: "in less than four hours emptied every chest of tea on board the three ships commanded by the Captains Hall, Bruce and Coffin, amounting to 342 chests, into the sea! without the least damage done to the ships or other property. The masters and owners are well pleas'd that their ships are thus clear'd, and the people are almost universally congratulating each other on this happy event."
The bias of the paper toward the "Mohawks" (who were mostly Freemasons) is obvious.
A broadside by the "Tradesmen of Boston" protested the event and supported buying and selling freely, thus not everyone was happy about the dumping.

Tea was also dumped elsewhere. In the same Boston Gazette article: "Capt. Loring in a brig from London, having 58 chests of the detested tea on board, was cast ashore on the Back of Cape Cod last Friday fe'night: 'Tis expected the "Cape Indians" will give us a good Account of the tea against our next (issue)." Tea is called a "detestable herb" and "Poison."

In western Canada: the only Lapsang Souchong I can find that is readily available comes from a mail order site in Washington state. Very good quality, in bulk.