\

Colonists dump teafrom the East India

Company intoBoston Harbor.

THE BOSTONTEA PARTYA 17?3 tax on tea sparked outrage in the13 Colonies. Revolution soon followed.

CharactersSamuel Adams, a ctiampion

of American independenceJohn Adams, his cousin [and

a future U.S. President)Richard Ciarke, o pro-British

tea merchantJonathan Ciarke \ his sons, alsoisaac Ciarke j tea merchantsJoshua Winsiow ^ teaBenjamin Faneuii Jr. / merchants1st voice from outside2nd voice from outsideThomas Hutchinson Jr., another

tea merchant

PROLOGUENarrator A: In the 1700s, Britainfought several costly wars. Tohelp pay for them—and for theBritish soldiers stationed in NorthAmerica—Parliament passed a

Words to Know

' ̂ ^ ^ J j [n): taxes or fees paidto a government when goodsare imported or exported

»22^525 in j : a group ofpeople chosen to vote or actfor someone else

' J^^ß!] fnj: oppressive powerexerted by a government

Samuei P. Savage, moderator ofa mass meeting

*Ethan Simmons, meeting attendeeFrancis Rotch, owner of

the Dartmouth, o tea shipVoices in the crowd*Caieb, 14 "i»Siias, 14 /

schoolboys

Paui Revere, a silversmith and amessenger for the Sons of Liberty

Narrators A-E

'Indicates a fictional or compositecharacter. All others were real people.

series of taxes on its Americancolonies. The Stamp Act of 1765,for example, required colonists topay a tax on printed materialslike newspapers, magazines, andplaying cards.Narrator B: American colonists,who had no representatives inParliament, began to resent beingtaxed by a government in whichthey had no voice. Many did notwant to be ruled from afar. "Notaxation without representation"became their rallying cry. Soon,relations between Britain and itsAmerican colonies began to sour,especially in Massachusetts and theport city of Boston.

continued on p.

OCTOBER 10, 2011/JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC 1 ?

AMERICAN HISTORY PLAY

SCENE 1Narrator C: One evening inDecember 1772, at his home inBoston, Samuel Adams talks witha visitor—his cousin John.Samuel Adams: We're beingtreated like second-class citizens.We have no one to speak for us inLondon. Britain does whatever itlikes. If we complain, if sendstroops to keep us in line—whichthe Stamp Act forces us to pay for!John Adams: Ifs not that bad.Samuel Adams: I guess you don'tmind being treated like a slave!John Adams: Come on, Sam!We're far from being slaves.Samuel Adams: We need to stirpeople up, to remind them ofBritain's tyranny!John Adams: what about the taxon tea? People hate if. Tea is aspopular here as it is in England.Samuel Adams: True, but almosteveryone avoids the tax by drink-ing tea smuggled from Holland.We need something else to getpeople riled up.

SCENE 2Narrator D: As it turns out, SamuelAdams was wrong: Tea ends upgetting fhe people of Boston plentyriled. With so many colonistsbuying smuggled tea, Britain'sParliament isn't getting the taxmoney it was counting on. Neitheris the British East India Company,the government-backed importerof tea and spices from Asia. So inMay 1773, Parliament passes theTea Act. This law allows the EastIndia Company to sell tea in fhecolonies at prices low enough toundercut fhe smugglers—even withthe hated tea tax added on.Narrator E: Only seven merchantsapproved by the British are

allowed to sell tea in Boston. OnNovember 17, 1773, JonathanClarke's fellow tea merchantswelcome him home from London.Richard Clarke: What's the newsfrom the Mother Country?Jonathan Clarke: Gentlemen, thetea shipments will soon arrive.Joshua Winslow: it will be thecheapest tea ever sold here in thecolonies. That should drive thesmugglers out of business!Benjamin Faneuil Jr.: The Sonsof Liberty aren't pleased.Jonathan Clarke: Samuel Adamsand that group of rabble-rouserswho hate Parliament and the King?Richard Clarke: While youwere gone, they sent us a letterdemanding that we refuse to sellthe East India Company's tea. Itreads, "Fail not, upon your peril!"Isaac Clarke: They even sent adelegation to our warehouse. Butour workers fought them off.Faneuil: We must never surrenderto the threats of a lowly mob.Narrator A: A rock crashesthrough the window.1st voice: Come out, cowards!2nd voice: Resign, you dogs!Thomas Hutchinson Jr.: Never!All of you will drink British tea!1st voice: Never!

SCENE 3Narrator B: The first tea ship, theDartmouth, arrives in BostonHarbor on November 28. The nextday, more than 5,000 peopleattend a meeting led by the Sonsof Liberty. They decide to send25 armed men to keep the teafrom being brought ashore.Narrator C: By December 14, twoother tea ships have arrived and aremoored beside the Dartmouth. OnDecember 16, 7,000 people gather

TODAY'SThe Boston Tea Party has

inspired a number of antitaxprotests in the U.S. over the

years. The political movementknown as the Tea Party emergedin 2009, afterthe inauguration ofBarack Obama as President.

Since then, activists haveorganized "tea party" rallies toprotest what they see as excessivegovernment spending. Somepeople were angry back in 2008duringthe financial crisis, whenCongress voted to spend billions ofdollars to rescue banks. Othersopposed Obama's health-care plan.

at Boston's Old South Church.Samuel P. Savage: By law, allships must be unloaded within 20days of arrival. Tomorrow will bethe Dartmouth's 20th day in port.Ethan Simmons: Mr. Rotch,you own the Dartmouth. Can wepersuade you to sail back toEngland without unloading the tea?Francis Rotch: The RoyalGovernor has British Navy shipsblocking the harbor. The captaincan't sail without his permission.Narrator D: The group sendsRotch to try to get an exit permitfrom fhe Governor. The meeting isadjourned until 6 p.m. That eve-ning, before another big crowd . . .Savage: What did the Governorsay, Mr. Rotch?Rotch: He won't let my ship leaveuntil the tea has been unloaded.And tomorrow is the deadline.Savage: So you'll unload the tea?Rotch: If the customs officialsorder me to do it, I'll have nochoice. They have British troopsbacking them up.Samuel Adams (calling out to thecrowd): This meeting can do noth-ing more to save the country!

1 8 JUNI0RSCH0LASTIC/0CT0BER10,2011

TEA PARTY^The Tea Party isn't actually a

party. It's more of a movementof like-minded people. Tea Partymembers have exerted a powerfulinfluence on national politics.Republican candidates who wantto run against Obama next year arenow seeking Tea Party support.

Would the tea partiers of 1??3agree with those who have takentheir name today? Samuel Adamswas glad that his "tea party" ledto the founding of the ContinentalCongress. But for today's TeaParty activists. Congress isn't thesolution—it's part of the problem.

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A 2009 Tea Partyprotest on Tax Day(April IS) , whenincome taxes are due

Narrator E: His words seem to bea signal. The sound of Indian warwhoops erupts as a group of whitemen dressed as Indians enters.Voices in the crowd: To Griffin'sWharf! Boston Harbor will be ateapot tonight!

SCENE4Narrator A: That evening, 116 menand boys—some dressed asIndians—board the three tea ships.They unload the cargo—by break-ing open tea chests and dumpingthe contents into the water.Caleb: Whew, this is hard work!Silas: It's for a good cause. Butwhat if British troops show up?Caleb: We'll be OK. They're atthe fort out in the harbor. Even ifthey do come, they'll never getthrough that crowd on the wharf.There must be hundreds of peoplecheering us on!Paul Revere: Get busy, you two!Let's make sure that not an ounceof tea is left to be sold ashore.Narrator B: When they're done . . .Revere: A harbor full of tea. Notbad for three hours' work!Silas: But what excuse will I give

my parents for getting home late?Revere: Tell 'em you've been to aparty—the Boston Tea Party.

SCENE 5Narrator C: In January, news ofthe Boston Tea Party reachesBritain. Parliament is outraged. Itpasses a series of laws known asthe Coercive Acts. The laws put amilitary Governor in charge ofMassachusetts and close the Portof Boston to all trade until thetown pays for the destroyed tea.Narrator D: The naval blockademeans that Boston is under siege.Although many Bostonians rely onshipping for their livelihoods, theyrefuse to give in. Soon afterward,at the home of Samuel Adams . . .John Adams: Well, Sam, youwanted something that would getpeople riled up, and you got it.Samuel Adams: it's clear toeveryone that these harsh newlaws are just revenge. People arecalling them the Intolerable Acts—and support for Massachusetts isgrowing throughout the colonies.John Adams: If Parliament hadbeen more reasonable, folks might

still be thinking of themselves ascitizens of Britain or of variouscolonies, rather than as Americans.Samuel Adams: Virginia and NewYork have called for a Congress,where representatives from allthe colonies can discuss what'shappening. Americans are finallypulling together.

EPILOGUENarrator E: On September 5,1774, delegates from 12 of the13 colonies met in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. It was the openingsession of the First ContinentalCongress. Among the delegatesrepresenting Massachusetts wereSamuel Adams and his cousinJohn. John Adams became one ofthe strongest voices for indepen-dence (and, in 1797, the secondPresident of the United States).Narrator A: Massachusetts remainedthe center of rebellion againstBritain. On April 19, 1775, the firstshots of the American Revolutionwere fired just outside Boston, atLexington and Concord. It was PaulRevere who alerted the colonists.

—Jim Forsht & Kathy Wiltnore

OCTOBER 10, 2011/JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC 1 9