While I never seem to make it out of the South very often, Boston, Massachusetts, has long been on my bucket list of places to visit. As much as I love American history, I think a tour of New England really needs to figure into my future before too many more years pass!
• Without a doubt, the Boston Tea Party would have to top any list of the most significant tea events not only in Massachusetts but also in the entire country. How do we sum that up succinctly, considering all that most of us now know about the event? I'll let History.com do the talking: "This famed act of American colonial defiance served as a protest against taxation. Seeking to boost the troubled East India Company, British Parliament adjusted import duties with the passage of the Tea Act in 1773. While consignees in Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia rejected tea shipments, merchants in Boston refused to concede to Patriot pressure. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard." Of course, since my early grade-school lessons about the Boston Tea Party, I've learned there were quite a few other such tea-tax protests along the East Coast, but Boston's remains the most famous, and I think it's fair to rank this the number one tea event of all time in America. (Do you agree?)
• Oh, the fun of exploring the digital archives of the New York Public Library. That's where I came across this old but undated stereoscope image from the Oriental Tea Co.'s Store, located at 85, 87 and 89 Court Street in Boston. Can you just imagine wearing your long gown and fancy hat as you shopped for tea in such a store? Wow!
• A couple of years ago, tea friend Jenn in Massachusetts was kind enough to send me a gorgeous little 1904 cookbook that was originally published by her Daughters of the American Revolution chapter there. Titled "A Book of Beverages," the book includes (fittingly) a recipe for Boston Punch, which I was delighted to see lists tea as an ingredient. Last week I was thinking about "Lady Baltimore Cake" during my focus on Maryland, and this week, it's "Boston Punch." Wouldn't it be fun to research all the recipes named after cities in the US?
I agree that the Boston Tea Party is the most well known "tea event" in this country. I'd love to visit that area and actually have tea in Boston!
ReplyDeleteMost important historical tea event, definitely! Most memorable family tea event in Boston, Afternoon Tea at the Langham Hotel, just last year! http://therosemaryhouse.blogspot.com/2015/11/afternoon-tea-langham-hotel-boston.html
ReplyDeleteYou would *adore* Boston! It's such a fun place, not to mention it's dripping with history! And just as an fyi for you (and your readers) that book is available as a digital book at http://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz/1904-A-book-of-beverages#X! Massachusetts was a rather fitting state to fall on Memorial Day weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteAngela, what fun to see the stereo photo! I learned to "free view" with no stereoscope years ago. If the distance between two spots, the same in both photos, is no more wide than your pupils you should be able to view.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of ways to view, stare into the distance with your face centered about 10 to 12 inches from the image. Keep your head level, relax your eyes and just stare into the distance and the two become one photo where you can see the depth. Some people have more success staring at the image cross eyed.
Love all the detail, what a fancy way of shopping for tea, I can hear the swishing of ladies skirts. ;)
The punch sounds good. You could have a tea where all the dishes were named after cities.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and her hubs are there right now. On Friday they had perfect weather and did the 8 mile Freedom Trail walk. Yesterday was super hot and they did the Sam Adam Brewery tour. They've been busy and having a ton of fun. I've stopped there for a half day on several New England Cruise tours with Princess Cruise Lines and we keep doing it over and over (in the fall) and have had perfect weather each time we've done it. Starts in NYC and hops all the way to New Brunswich Nova Scotia. But hitting the US coastal towns is a fav. We've done something new in Boston each time. The first time we did a bus tour to learn all about the founding of our nation there and saw all the buildings, after that we hit museums. We always find a fun Irish pub so I can have a delicious pink and we can get fish n chips. : - )
ReplyDeleteI *highly* recommend that cruise tour - it's such an easy way to see the awesome NE coast, affordable and great food and as stated: EASY. It's easy on the mind, body and soup to take cruises. It's our fav to be sure. Hugs.
Let Freedom Ring.....Forever! ♥♥♥
Great post on Massachusetts, Angela! I know you would enjoy visiting Boston so much, as you are such a fan of history.
ReplyDeleteI wish my Dad was still here, he would have enjoyed giving you a tour of Boston. He was born in Worcester and went to Boston College. He loved history and taught American History in high school.
When he served in the U S Navy in World War Two, their ship made a stop in Miami and he decided then, 'after the war, I am going to marry Terese and we are moving to Miami.'
John and Terese Donohue did marry, moved to Miami and raise a family of seven children. Many summers included vacations to Boston and the Freedom Trail, so wonderful, so full of history. Outdoor concerts with the Boston Pops - fantastic!
For sure, Angela, I hope you get to visit Boston - you will feel 'right at home!'
Happy Memorial Day from Joanie.
ReplyDeleteBeen anxiously awaiting to see what you'd write about my home state. Love it! And love my DAR book being featured. If you ever get up here, we must do tea!
ReplyDeleteBest, Jenn