On Thursday, December 16, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men, many dressed as Indians, dumped roughly GBP10,000 worth of tea in Boston Harbor. Whatever their motives at the time, they unleashed a social, political, and economic firestorm that would culminate in the Declaration of Independence two-and-a-half years later. The Boston Tea Party provoked a reign of terror in Boston and other American cities as tea parties erupted up and down the colonies. The turmoil stripped tens of thousands of their homes and property, and ...
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On Thursday, December 16, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men, many dressed as Indians, dumped roughly GBP10,000 worth of tea in Boston Harbor. Whatever their motives at the time, they unleashed a social, political, and economic firestorm that would culminate in the Declaration of Independence two-and-a-half years later. The Boston Tea Party provoked a reign of terror in Boston and other American cities as tea parties erupted up and down the colonies. The turmoil stripped tens of thousands of their homes and property, and nearly 100,000 left forever in what was history's largest exodus of Americans from America. Nonetheless, John Adams called the Boston Tea Party nothing short of "magnificent," saying that "it must have important consequences." Combining stellar scholarship with action-packed history, Harlow Giles Unger reveals the truth behind the legendary event and examines its lasting consequence--the spawning of a new, independent nation.
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Seller's Description:
Used; Very Good. Used; Very Good. On December 16, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men dumped roughly 10, 000 pounds worth of tea in Boston Harbor. This symbolic act unleashed a social, political, and economic firestorm throughout the colonies. Combining stellar scholarship with action-packed history, American Tempest reveals the truth behind the legendary event and examines its lasting consequence--the birth of an independent America. 2011. HARDCOVER.
An interesting treatment of the 'revolution's' onset. Not wanting to pay for government services, and avoiding import duties by smuggling, a group of men started a revolution. A disgruntled bankrupt brewer gathered together workers, farmers, small businessmen and conned a few wealthy individuals to overthrow a government. However, the brewer, who started the whole thing saw his power taken by the wealthy, twice. The small businessmen, farmers, artisans and workers who fought for 'freedom' and the right to elect their government found the British aristocracy replaced by an American aristocracy which taxed them, perhaps even more than before the Revolution. It is not without irony that after the revolution, the Governor of Massachusetts who had run the state into debt, resigned due to fatigue before the chickens came home to roost. His successor had to raise taxes to help relieve the debt but was voted out of office in favor of his predecessor who had recuperated from his fatigue. An interesting tidbit, the Declaration of Independence, passed on 4 July 1776 was not signed until 2 August 1776.
