Five Teas That Launched a Revolution

Tea historian Bruce Richardson weaves the stories behind the Chinese teas that were tossed into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. The world knows well how Britain’s love for tea gave rise to the crafting of countless tea things—a frequent term used in Austen’s novels—but history has neglected the devotion that wealthy residents of Colonial America had for fine furniture, silver, and porcelain dedicated to their own tea ritual. Their thirst for tea led to a party, a revolution, and the birth of a nation. All this commotion over a simple cup of tea!