Boston Tea Party Summary

1 The following paper will tell a story of a shoemaker in Boston during the 1770's recalling events of British arrogance and his participation in, of the now historic "Boston tea Party". George Hewes, the Boston shoemaker, was over ninety years old when he tells his story to a journalist in 1834. In my paper I hope to enlighten you on the similarities of the action and attitude of John Malcolm to the importation and sale of tea in the American colonies and why Hewes and his comrades believe their actions were more just, than that of the tea sellers and John Malcolm
.

First, lets discuss the feelings Britain had for its American colonies at this point in history. Britain at this time looked down at the American colonies; in their eyes
they viewed them as inferior to their civilized way of life. They viewed them as savage backwoodsmen that were not worthy of equal treatment. They felt that Britain was all-powerful and showed it in their actions toward the colonists. To sum it all up in a nutshell Britain believed that they were more powerful and intelligent, so they new what was best for the colonies and did not care what the colonists had to say about it.

John Malcolm was a custom-house officer for the
2
British government.
As a boy, George Hewes (shoemaker) confronts John Malcolm who states quote "you d----d rascal, do you presume too , to speak to me?"(p102) where upon young Mr. Hewes is struck in the head with a cane, which in turn results in damaging his hat and a large wound to the forehead. For no reason was this just, but for the shear arrogance of the custom officer's ego over what he believes to be a peasant boy to which he owes no respect. This with the same characteristic of the false ego of the tea sales men to force the importation and sale of their products onto the colonists, to which have no say so in the matter, serve as common similarities.

Hewes and his peers believed their actions to be more just than those of Malcolm and the tea sellers for a couple of reasons. One being that they asked in a civilized way not to bring in the tea, yet they were ignored and the tea was forced upon them anyways and instead of sitting back and taking the outrageous tax up the butt, they lash out in the only way they know how." I made the demand accordingly, and the captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles: but requested me at the same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging."(p103) By destroying the tea and nothing else they showed d that they were not out to
fight
3
back, but only to correct the injustice forced upon them by this intrusion of British tea. In their eyes this was seen as more just than to the action of being forced to buy the tea. Hewes believed that his telling of who struck him with the cane and the consequences of the assailant to be more just than to strike a child with a cane upside the head for the soul reason of just speaking.

In conclusion, I hope your gain of knowledge over the subject has increased due to my supporting evidence such as: how Britain felt about its American colonies, how they looked down upon them in disgust, the similarities of john malcom and the tea sellers and how I linked them through their over developed egos, and how hewes and his peers believe their action to be more just then those imposed by the tea sellers an John Malcolm because of their less forceful ways of conducting. I would like to end my paper with quote from a famous colonist unknown- (fingure pointing) "That is an importer of tea"