Shoemaker and the Tea Party Essay Example

nearly blocked out of many colonists’ minds all together. In fact, the term “Tea Party” does not arise until the 1830s. “The ‘discovery’ of George Robert Twelves Hewes, who until 1834 was an unknown historical figure in either print or oral culture, save, of course to his family and the circles around him. ”3 It can be said that Hewes helped to bring light to how revolutionary and significant the dumping of the tea really was.

The dumping of the tea was a significant event for virtually all colonists. “Men in almost every patriotic family had taken part in the event, either attending the body meetings, watching the action at the wharf, or joining the boarding parties. 4 However, colonists played down the significance of the Boston Tea Party that occurred December 16, 1773. At the time, the event was perceived as over stepping the boundaries; it was even looked upon as a radical event. The colonists, with a wiliness to forget, chose to not compose articles containing information about the dumping of tea in order prevent repercussions from Parliament, among other things. However, to the dismay of the colonists, these repercussions would come about anyways.

Their actions would inevitably led to severe retaliation from Great Britain in the form of the Intolerable Acts. When the Intolerable Acts were enacted upon the colonies, it gave Parliament the power to move trials to other colonies or back to England if the King feared that the jury would not try the case fairly, also all law officers were subject to appointment by the royal governor, and all town meetings that didn't have approval of the

royal governor were banned. The Intolerable acts also had two additional clauses that closed the port of Boston until the price of the dumped tea was recovered.

Also enacted with the Intolerable Act was the Quartering Act, which allowed royal troops to stay in houses or empty buildings if barracks were not available. 5 Ultimately these events led to the start of the American Revolution and the fight for independence. While colonists tried to spin events their way, it failed and the colonists were faced with harsh punishment. In addition to the events leading up to the American Revolution being spun, Hewes’s character was also spun by many different people, including James Hawkes and Benjamin Thatcher.

Both these authors wrote biographies about Hewes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Hawkes tried to write about Hewes in first person; however, he quickly lapsed into third person. He also dragged on with long digressions in order to add to the story. 6He biggest mistake was not knowing enough about the Revolution in order to accurately portray Hewes. This made him portray Hewes with the same virtues of Benjamin Franklin and a selfless patriot. On a positive note, he allowed Hewes to add his own feelings and ideas into the bibliography, thus, creating a simplistic and truthful story.

On the contrary, Thatcher embellished and falsified dialogue in order to add to Hewes’s story. He would regularly add anecdotes about Hewes’s youth and the revolution that were more than likely fabricated. “Thus, Hatchers portrayal, while fuller than Hawkes’s, is also more flawed. ” Both authors took an average Joe and made him into a radical

figure. Others have also chosen to alter the character of Hewes, even in a painting. The painting, which ordered by John Davis, president of the Massachusetts Historical Society and United States Attorney at law, depicted only one side Hewes.

When the painting was finished it was hung in the Boston Athenaum described as “a place of fashionable resort. ” Although the painting of Hewes was a nice gesture, it failed to show both sides of the story. He was a vital figure in the events leading up to the American Revolution but he was also a shoemaker for his entire life, which the portrait failed to portray. Additionally, the portrait failed to portray the real life characteristics of Hewes. For example, an indentation in his forehead from John Malcom’s cane was intentionally left out, as were his wrinkles in his face.

The portrait was very politically correct, but it did not show how Hewes struggled as a shoemaker throughout his entire life. 7 The “discovery” of Hewes brought to light how the Sons of Liberty help jump start the American Revolution on the road to independence for the colonies from Great Britain. Hewes, like “Joe the Plumber,” found himself dragged into politics. Dr. Samuel Van Crowninshield Smith a conservative Jacksonian recognized that Hewes should be known for his age of 93 instead of his actions during the radical event of the Boston Tea Party.

Hewes took part in the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre not to be a historical figure, but to fight for freedom. He endured a long and hard life as a middle-class shoemaker. Although he may not

have had all the amenities, he made the most of his life. Dr. Crowninshield feels that Hewes should be remembered for this and not as a radical colonist. Despite the inaccuracies of Hewes’s character, the “discovery” of Hewes led to a reemergence of patriotism by citizens during the 1830s.

No longer was the dumping of the tea looked at as destruction but rather looked upon as “the tea party. Because of Hewes, the public memory of the dumping of the tea was transformed, creating a new spin on the Boston Tea Party, a spin that will even work its way into textbooks. Often the dumping of the tea into the Boston harbor can be incorporated with “No taxation without representation” said by Patrick Henry at the Stamp Act congress in 1765 before the Boston Massacre or dumping of the tea even happened. 9 Confusion of events often occurs due to the lack of record keeping in the early periods of American history.

Before textbooks or the World Wide Web, history was hard to keep track of. Often history was passed down orally from generation to generation. Each generation took each historical moment differently; no one person knew all the history due to the lack of keeping records. But when all the records are complied together to create an abstract, it shows different variations in stories. During the 1830s, citizens were learning how to embrace the Boston Tea Party instead of looking down upon the act.

With the transformation of the dumping of the tea came new stories and the forthcoming of new heroes. For instance, before reading this monograph, a common person

would only know about what George Washington and other big named icons in American history did during the American Revolution. But now the public has knowledge about new heroes, like George Robert Twelves Hewes, with the help of the monograph The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution by Alfred F. Young. This monograph has changed the way people look at early the early history of America.

Through his monograph Young has brought to light a new hero, George Robert Twelves Hewes, who has endured time. Through enduring time he was able to pass on his wealth of knowledge and wisdom about the events that occurred. Young provides a balance of knowledge from Hewes as well as his own insight into the historical event. One, after reading Young’s monograph, can draw comparisons to modern day history. Also, one can draw their own conclusions of historical events from reading Young’s monograph. I now have a new perspective on the events that help shape the American Republic.

Now I can appreciate how history has evolved throughout time, from word of mouth to documentation in textbooks and now to the World Wide Web. Also through Young’s monograph I have seen how throughout history historian have spun events to have what they want out of the situation, much like how lawyers do when arguing a case to make a point. 10 Though historians put spin on historical events, I feel it is necessary in order to give historical events some perspective. Having a vast array of different perspective on an event can create new takes on an event that perhaps have never been explored.