THE STOREKEEPER'S ACCOUNT OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
By Heather Hicks
(Grade 3 & 4)
Let me tell you my account of one of the most unusual "parties" of all times. It was a unique party, for it was a tea party. It took place on the eve of December 16, 1773 in Boston, Massachusetts. I, a general store manager, had the opportunity to watch the party first hand, as I looked out of my store window to where the whole scene took place.
The makings of this "party" began with a clash between the colonists and our enemies, the British. The British had fallen into great debt after the French and Indian War and decided to make money off the colonies by charging them taxes. They implemented the Stamp Act of 1765 and in 1767 put a tax on tea. This did not go over well with the colonists. In the past I had sold tea, the Bostonians favorite beverage, more than anything in my store. However, when Britain put the tax on tea, Bostonians were irate and stopped buying the beverage altogether.
A young man and customer-friend of mine by the name of Sam Adams dropped by the store one afternoon. He came to tell me about a meeting he wanted me to attended. The meeting was about the protest he was organizing against the tea tax. This was the meeting that planned for the "party".
A couple of weeks before the meeting was held on December 16, 1773, three British ships pulled into port all carrying crates of tea. I knew the meeting I was about to attend probably had something to do with these three ships and I was very correct! There was a huge turn out, over 2000 people, to the meeting that Adams had organized. At the meeting a plan was devised to stop the problem of the ships unloading their crates. One hundred townsmen, disguised as Mohawk Indians, were going to be the answer to this problem.
I left the meeting just a couple minutes early. I hurried back to the store where a perfect view of the water and the event that was about to happen awaited me. Later that evening, after dark, I saw all the "Indians" running toward the water and a huge crowd following. The "Indians" broke into three groups, one for each ship. They boarded the ships with one mission - to throw all of the crates of tea overboard. That is exactly what they did. The captains of the ships couldn't stop them because they were outnumbered. The "Indians" didn't want to have any violence, they just wanted to get rid of the tea to make a point to the British government. They brought the crates up onto the decks, broke them open with their axes and threw the tea overboard. They threw over 342 chests of tea in just a little more than two hours. I was never more proud to be a colonist as I witnessed simple townsmen accomplish a great feat. The night known as the famous "Boston Tea Party" was the beginning of the American Revolution!
Questions:
- What was the first tax the British imposed on the colonists? When?
- What was the second tax the British imposed on the colonists? When?
- What was the date of the Boston Tea Party?
- What are some other ways the townsmen of Boston could have stopped the ships from unloading their tea?
- What other names could you give "The Boston Tea Party"?
- What other items could the British have taxed? How else could they have raised money?
Outline:
I. Introduction
A. Happened Dec.16, 1773
B. Took Place in Boston
C. Story is told by a general store owner
II. British taxing
A. Stamp Act of 1765
B. Tea tax in 1776
C. Bostonians reactions
III. Meeting held by Adams
A. Dec.16, 1773
B. 2000 people attended
C. Men dressed as Mohawk Indians
IV. Events of the "Party"
A. Men (Indians) broke into three groups and boarded ships
B. Threw 342 chests of tea overboard
C. Beginning of American Revolution
Answers to questions:
- Stamp Act of 1765
- Tax on tea in 1767
- December 16, 1773
- Answers will vary.
- Answers will vary.
- Answers will vary.
Props:
Teapot and tea cup
Indian attire
Picture book
Source
Story taken from:
Stein, Conrad R. The story of the Boston Tea Party