Boston celebrates 250th anniversary of Tea Party with re-enactment of famous 1773 uprising against the British
- Patriotic Bostonians celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Tea Party with tea leaf throwing reenactments at the city's harbor and community gatherings
- The event started at 4:00 PM and will last until 8:00 PM. Tea for the reenactment is supplied by the East India Company.
- Viewers are encouraged to participate in the dumping by singing “Huzzah!” while the actors dramatically destroy kilos of tea
Patriotic Bostonians are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Tea Party today with an elaborate reenactment.
The Tea Party is considered a pivotal event leading to the Revolutionary War against British rule.
The commemoration of the Boston Tea Party included planned reenactments of the throwing of tea leaves into the city's harbor and community gatherings leading up to the defiant act on December 16, 1773.
City officials expect to see thousands of visitors arrive for the celebration.
“It's a reminder to all of us, not just here in the United States but around the world, that democracy in action is doing what's right, regardless of the odds, for our friends, our families, our homes, our futures.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Friday at a press conference to preview the anniversary.
Tea for the reenactment is being supplied by the East India Company, the same British company at the center of the fierce dispute.
Patriotic Bostonians celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Tea Party with tea leaf throwing reenactments at the city's harbor and community gatherings
The live reenactment is scheduled to begin at Faneuil Hall at 4 p.m. Although seating tickets are sold out, people can still gather outside and watch screenings of what's happening inside
According to the scheme, the live reenactment began at Faneuil Hall at 4 p.m. Although seating tickets are sold out, people can still gather outside and watch screenings of what's happening inside.
Around 6 p.m., a town crier in Downtown Crossing will deliver news to the crowd of “Patriots and Loyalists” gathered outside the reenactments simmering in the Old South Meeting House.
The website explains, “This free outdoor event features citizens of Colonial Boston as they take the state to discuss news of the Tea Crisis and the impact on their families, businesses and the American colonies.”
Between 6:15 and 7:15 p.m., crows are expected at Old South Meeting House, where on the night of the dump 250 years ago, 5,000 men gathered for a final meeting on the controversial tea tax and Samuel Adams signaled that the riot would begin.
A rolling gathering led by five and drum corps will march toward Harborwalk at 7:30 p.m. The procession is free and open to the public.
At 8 p.m., reenactors board two replica ships and prepare to throw tea into the water.
A rolling gathering led by five and drum corps will march toward Harborwalk at 7:30 p.m. The procession is free and open to the public
In 1773, the revolutionaries had dumped approximately 92,000 pounds of tea worth nearly $2 million into the murky waters of Boston Harbor.
The December 16 group said it had received “more than 2,000 donations of loose tea from all 50 states and around the world, in addition to 250 pounds from London's East India Company.”
Viewers are encouraged to participate in the dumping by singing “Huzzah!” while the actors dramatically destroy kilos of tea
In 1773, the revolutionaries had dumped some 92,000 pounds of tea worth almost $2 million today into the murky waters of Boston Harbor.
Some teas were Bohea, Congou, Hyson, Singlo and Souchong.
At the time, the British responded with military rule and other sanctions against Massachusetts, fueling American resistance to colonial rule.