Thom Hartmann said so. In Hartmann’s reading, the 1773 Boston Tea Party was as much a protest against corporate oligarchy as a protest against government — quite the opposite of the way most Neo Tea Partiers see things. Is he right? Historians, what say you?
Hartmann relies on his copy of George R. T. Hewes’ book, A retrospect of the Boston tea-party, with a memoir of George R. T. Hewes, a survivor of the little band of patriots who drowned the tea in Boston harbour in 1773 (1834). Are you familiar with the book?
George Robert Twelves Hewes in 1835 at age 93, a veteran of the 1773 Boston Tea Party. Painting by Joseph G. Cole. CUNY image
More, and resources:
- George R. T. Hewes’ Retrospective in various formats for free download at archive.com
- J. L. Bell, of course, wrote about Hewes at his grand history blog, Boston 1775. (Here’s a sample post.) History teachers, if you don’t have Boston 1775 bookmarked, you’re not doing your internet job
Posted by Ed Darrell 
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 