A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Tarred & Feathered. Not because of the price of tea! I stand corrected.



Please read Jenny's comments below, she is far more knowledgable than I am regarding the revolution period. Thank you Jenny.

2 comments:

Jenny said...

The real John Malcom was indeed tarred and feathered - but because he beat a boy in the street with his cane.

Which ain't to say Sam Adams and his Sons of Liberty were angels - I daresay I'd have been fed up with them myself if I were a 1775 Bostonian.

That said, it wasn't "for the price of tea" - the price actually went *down* with the tea acts. The sticking point was that it was a Crown monopoly, and a tax levied by a body we had no say in.

A decent modern analogy might be if the UN security council said you could only buy some ubiquitous product - say gasoline - from a supplier *they* designated, with funds from that supplier going back to them.

As you might imagine, that got more than a few people hot and bothered, even if they didn't all think bringing out the torches was a good idea.

Keith said...

Good job I have you watching my back. I have changed the title & added a post script. Thank you again Jenny.
Regards, Keith.