Boston Tea Party 250th Anniversary: Revival of Key Moment in History

Boston Tea Party 250th Anniversary just came and went. During the event, the city of Boston revived a key moment in history. 

Boston Tea Party 250th Anniversary: Revival of Key Moment in History

History of the Boston Tea Party

Fed up and frustrated with a British tax on tea and also consumed wholly and totally by the resentment of British authority in general, a group of rebellious colonial Americans called the Sons of Liberty decided to make a statement on the night of 16th December circa 1773. Sneaking into the ship in Boston harbor, the Sons of Liberty proceeded to toss about 342 chests of imported Chinese tea into the water. Impressed by their mercantile defiance, future US President John Adams put pen to paper and wrote in his diary the following words:

“This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid and inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences, and so lasting, that I can’t but consider it as an Epocha in History,”

Was the pen used by John Adams magic or was he clairvoyant? No one knows, but what the world does know is that Adams hit the bullseye in his prediction and the night of the Sons of Liberty’s rebellions will echo through the history of America. And now as the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary knocked on the door of the present, the city came out in full swing to re-enact the past. 

Boston Tea Party 250th Anniversary Re-enactments 

Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary started with a bang at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 16 at Faneuil Hall with a live historical re-enactment. Tickets for viewing the event inside the hall were sold out long before, however many gathered outside to watch the screening of all that was happening inside. This was followed by scheduled reenactments of the throwing of tea leaves in Boston’s harbor as well as community meetings that preceded the defiant act on the fateful day of December 16, 1773. The hordes of crowds that gathered to watch the reenactments shouted huzzah along with the costumed actors as they dropped boxes of tea into the harbor.

250 pounds of loose tea was supplied by London’s East India Company to the organizers of this event. This was the same company that supplied tea to the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773. Moreover, in addition to the 250 pounds of tea, 2,000 pounds from 7,000 individual submissions were also sent from around the globe. During the events, as an actor read King George III’s order closing the bay, the air filled with the boos and awes of the spectators and resonated with cheers as details of drafting of the Declaration of Independence were narrated. At a news conference held on Friday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. 

“When history asked Boston in 1773 if we were willing to do what it takes to defend our liberties, we took tea leaves for ink and made the ocean our page,”

“It’s a reminder for all of us, not just here in the United States but all over the world, that democracy is in action: Doing what’s right, no matter the odds, for our friends, our families, our homes, our future,” 

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll stated that:

“They stood up to injustice and in the process proved ordinary people could rise up and change the world,”

“They simply had the courage and the fortitude to do it.”

Impact on the Environment of the Reenactment 

After the event, many were left wondering if the copious amounts of tea dumped in the harbor were safe for the environment and the animals in it. The organizing team of the Boston Tea Party 250th anniversary and reenactment stated in an interview that:

“We have always made it our goal to leave the smallest environmental impact on the Fort Point Channel.” 

“The tea itself is a biodegradable plant as it is just dried leaves. All other materials are retrieved from the harbor. The chests themselves are retrieved from the water and there are no other substances left in the water.

“Additionally, while we have seen a large amount of participation in the tea donation project, the amount of tea that we are throwing pales in comparison to the original amount thrown in 1773.  In 1773, the Sons of Liberty threw over 92,000 pounds of tea. We will not be throwing anywhere close to the number.”

Also Read 

Drake Revives an Abandoned Fantasy Amusement Park – Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy

The Super Yacht, Titania, featured in the Crown is Up for Grabs

Starting in 2024, U.S. Citizens Will Need a Visa to Enter Brazil – Here is What You Need to Know