Joseph Cummins: Ten Tea Parties, Patriotic Protests That History Forgot
The stories in Ten Tea Parties illuminate the power of Americans banding together as Americans
To borrow a copy of the book, contact Linda at director@museum.westford.org
We all know the story of the Boston Tea Party, but do you know the history the Philadelphia Tea Party, or the York Tea Party? Or how about the Wilmington Tea Party? Ten Tea Parties is the first book to chronicle all these uniquely American protests.
Author and historian Joseph Cummins begins with the history of the East India Company (the biggest global corporation in the eighteenth century) and their staggering financial losses during the Boston Party- more than a million dollars in today’s money. We then travel to Philadelphia where Captain Samuel Ayres was nearly tarred and feathered by a mob of 8,000 angry patriots. Then we set sail for New York where the Sons of Liberty raided the London, and heaved 18 chests of tea into the Hudson River. Still later, in Annapolis, a brigantine carrying 2,300 pounds of the “wretched weed” was burned to ashes. Together, the stories in Ten Tea Parties illuminates the power of Americans banding together as Americans- perhaps for the first time in the fledgling nation’s history. It is no wonder that these patriots remain an inspiration to many people to this day. Order book here
Discussion led by Leslie Howard, President, Westford Historical Society
Suggestion Program Donation: $10 per person