Tea Party
American Civ. I
02/02/12
The Two Faces of the Tea Party The Tea Party movement of the late 18th century has been reinvented by a different group of political figures in today´s society. Both movements have similar intentions but are protesting and campaigning for very different reasons. This paper will look at today´s Tea Party and compare the protesters and their reasons for protesting with those of the Boston Tea Party all those years ago. The first movement called ´´The Boston Tea Party´´ began in 1773. It represented action taken by the colonists of one of America´s largest cities, Boston, against the British government who were ruling the country at that point. Colonists in Boston had become frustrated with many of the British government’s policies including their high taxation laws. These issues came to the forefront when protesters took a stand against the Tea Act of 1773 implemented by the British. It is an iconic moment in American history and was a major part of the larger struggle for American independence. The modern movement created in recent times is called the Tea Party movement as a reference to the movement in 1773. It started in 2009 and is an American populist movement recognized as being both conservative and libertarian, started by a group of people protesting against the American government. The group’s goals are the reduction of government spending, opposition to taxation, reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit and the adherence to an original interpretation of the United States Constitution (Raphael). Both of these movements have one ultimate goal which is why they have been given the same name in the media. They both hope to change the way their current government works and create a different
02/02/12
The Two Faces of the Tea Party The Tea Party movement of the late 18th century has been reinvented by a different group of political figures in today´s society. Both movements have similar intentions but are protesting and campaigning for very different reasons. This paper will look at today´s Tea Party and compare the protesters and their reasons for protesting with those of the Boston Tea Party all those years ago. The first movement called ´´The Boston Tea Party´´ began in 1773. It represented action taken by the colonists of one of America´s largest cities, Boston, against the British government who were ruling the country at that point. Colonists in Boston had become frustrated with many of the British government’s policies including their high taxation laws. These issues came to the forefront when protesters took a stand against the Tea Act of 1773 implemented by the British. It is an iconic moment in American history and was a major part of the larger struggle for American independence. The modern movement created in recent times is called the Tea Party movement as a reference to the movement in 1773. It started in 2009 and is an American populist movement recognized as being both conservative and libertarian, started by a group of people protesting against the American government. The group’s goals are the reduction of government spending, opposition to taxation, reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit and the adherence to an original interpretation of the United States Constitution (Raphael). Both of these movements have one ultimate goal which is why they have been given the same name in the media. They both hope to change the way their current government works and create a different
Cited: ´´Boston Tea Party´´. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2011):1 . MAS Ultra- School Edition. Web. 2 Feb. 2012 Cowley, Michael. ´´The Tea Party´s Triumph.´´ Time 178.6 (2011): 34-41. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. Forsht, JimWilmore, Kathy. ´´The Boston Tea Party.´´ Junior Scholastic 114.3 (2011): 16. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. Goldstein, Jared A. ´´The Tea Party Movement and the Perils of Popular Originalism.´´ Arizona Law Review53.3 (2011): 827-866.Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Feb. 2012 Raphael, Ray. ´´Tea Party Myths´´, American History 45.2 (2010): 60. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. Woodard, Colin ´´A Geography Lesson for The Tea Party.´´ Washington Monthly 43.11/12 (2011): 10 . MasterFILE Premier. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.