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It wasn't the tax per se, it was the
king's denial of representation in Parliament that infuriated some folks
here at the time. That the King would tax us without that representation was the
last straw, hence the cry heard often in "the colonies" prior to the war, "No
taxation without representation!" The tax on tea required of the colonists was
considered most onerous and was the target of a "rabble rouser" named Samual
Adams. It was he and his band of "The Sons of Liberty" that dressed as indians,
boarded British merchant ships in Boston harbor, and threw all the tea
overboard. This became known over here as "The Boston Tea Party." Samual Adams
was quite the orator and known for his firey speaches containing such phrases
as:
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State
House, August 1, 1776
Sam Adams was a brewer and methinks he may
probably have just preferred that folks drink his beer instead. Today there is a
small(er) brewery here in the US that claims to brew it's beer after Sam Adams
fashion, and is named for him. Somewhere I have photos of the brewery. Sam Adams
beer is not bad at all, for American beer, that is, though it is said that
*beer* has not been brewed in the US for decades. It is much better than that
Budwieser swill, though...
Regards,
Bob...
I am have heard it said by US friends that the reason for the split from merry old England was that you did not want to pay your taxes to pay for wars the UK had fought on behalf of the colonies. You are right though in some respects. We are not keen on gun cultures. But then our police do not carry guns as a matter of course. But these things are never that simple. Terry |
