| totalwar23 said: The Tea Act did not put any tax on tea. It allowed the East India Company to sell their tea directly to the American colonies because they had a huge surplus they could not unload. The tax on tea was in the Townshend Duties, which was passed in 1767. Colonists responded by boycotting, which forced Parliament to repeal everything but the tax on tea. The American colonists then just merely smuggled tea in but in places like Boston, they were importing tea with the tax in place. The Tea Act actually allowed the taxed tea to be sold cheaper than smuggled tea. Now why exactly would the colonies be okay with the tea tax for several years, and then explode into outrage because of the tax on tea after the Tea Act? |
Very good. At least someone knows their history.
To answer you question, the Boston Tea Party had almost nothing to do with tea although the idea of "no taxation withour representation" still was something they agreed with. But the Boston Tea Party was propoganda. Look at it from the Americans point of view. They were about to fight the largest military and economic power in the world for their freedom. They needed help. First they needed people at home to join in. They needed some sort of propoganda to rally spirts and loyalties at home. By doing this act and publically arousing spirits of the common hatred towards the British government for "no taxation without representation" and "less harsh economic controls on the colonies". Was propoganda for the most part. And secondly it was to hopefully arouse support from other countries, particualarly the French in helping them in this cause.
OT- What do I think of the "tea parties"? I think they are pathetic outcries of hypocrisy by people who no idea what they want or what they are talking about. Apparently they are angry at the way their taxes are being spent and that it should be spent the way they want it to. However, this is a representative democracy. You elected the people to do this. Either you support the ideology or you really are saying something revolutionary towards the idea with your direct democracy ideologies. Second, you don't want government to spend the money that you gave to them in taxes. So what you want them to waste money by NOT USING IT INSTEAD. I'm sure the headlines would be a lot more favorable if we learn about sitting tax money in the vaults. Finally, the complain about the things it is being spent on yet this tax money is also going to other things such as supporting the soldiers.
I mean it's a very hypocritical and self-interested act with the absolute show of ideas that help the situation. Instead they walk out with their signs with a disrespectful play on the old Boston Tea Party and ask for things that make no sense. If you wanted to actually make a protest on to how they spend your money... don't pay your taxes. Do you sense the fear now? Oh I sense the fear. How fearful all these protestors must have been with their half-assed hypocritical protests. They fear an unregulated government and an unregulated economy yet they are asking for things that take away regulations. Things that would actually have regulation to spend their money. Fear and hypocrisy is how you describe these "tea parties". You want to make a difference. Don't pay your taxes. That's how you protest something like this. But I know none of them have the courage to do it.
