The American colonists brought their love of tea with them from England and the Netherlands, and for many years it was a popular beverage in the colonies. During the 1700¡¯s it increased in popularity but also became more expensive because of the East India Company¡¯s monopoly and control of prices. In December 1773, the Boston Tea Party transformed tea from a simple hot beverage of enjoyment to a catalyst for revolution and an enduring symbol of rebellion. Tea was important to the economy of the colonies, especially the ports of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, and smugglers dominated much of the market. The Tea Act of 1773 imposed a duty on tea imported to the colonies, and England granted the East India Company the rights to import the tea. Colonists faced lower quality tea but at a higher price because of this new duty. The colonists began to boycott tea as their gesture of protest for British taxation policies. After several town meetings throughout Massachusetts and weeks of tension in the air, the colonists decided that something must be done to prevent the taxed tea from being unloaded at the colonial docks. On the night of December 16,
See, e.g., Tea World: Green Tea, available at: http://www.greentea.com/tw greentea.html; Segal, supra note 4 for a description of the tea manufacturing processes. See Segal, supra note 4.
See Moxham, supra note 9 at 24.
See Peter D.G. Thomas, Tea Party to Independence: the Third Phase of the American Revolution 14-15 (1991).
See id.
Benjamin Woods Labaree, The Boston Tea Party 132-133 (1964).
1773 patriots dumped over 300 chests of tea from three ships worth over 3000 pounds into Boston Harbor. The story is a familiar one, and the Tea Party is often credited with the honor of triggering the AmericanRevolution. Tea¡¯s place in history no doubt has influenced its perception in society, even today. Tea is largely seen as a
British drink, and often this is a negative for American consumers.24 However, tea does remain a symbol of American resolve and dedication to independence. | 
