250 Years Declaration of Independence: The Boston Tea Party: an event that changed history

Den USA steht in diesem Jahr ein großes Jubiläum ins Haus: 250 Jahre Unabhängigkeitserklärung. Anlässlich dieses bedeutsamen Jahrestags gibt es in der Read On jeden Monat einen Artikel, der die Geschehnisse, die zur Gründung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika führten, genauer beleuchtet. In der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On werden die Ereignisse rund um die bekannte Boston Tea Party nachgezeichnet, bei der 40 Tonnen Tee im Bostoner Hafen landeten.

The Boston Tea Party: an event that changed history

When angry American colonists dumped over forty tonnes of British tea into Boston Harbour, Britain responded with repressive laws that may have helped trigger the American Revolutionary War.

By John Bilstein

1                 On December 16, 1773, at 10am, a large group of American colonists, a lot of whom were disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded three ships docked at Griffin’s Wharf, Boston, and destroyed their cargo.

2                 At least 340 chests of fine Chinese tea belonging to the British East India Company (BEIC) were dumped overboard at low tide. When the tea hit the water, it made a big aromatic mess that nearly filled the harbour.

3                 The mainly non-violent protest was organised by a secret society of men from all over Boston, called the Sons of Liberty.

4                 Only one man got injured by accident, and no property was destroyed apart from one padlock – later replaced by the rebels – and the tea itself, of course.

5                 However, this act of defiance had a much greater symbolic effect than the Boston Massacre (see 250 Years Declaration of Independence: The Boston Massacre).

6                 The event that later became known as the Boston Tea Party was the climax of a long dispute between Britain and its American colonies over power-sharing and taxation.

7                 Tea played a central role in this dispute. In 1767, the British government had passed the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on many items including imported tea.

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Den vollständigen Artikel lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On.

Vocabulary

0                 to dump s.th. into s.th. etw. in etw. hineinwerfen — to respond reagieren — repressive streng — to trigger s.th. etw. auslösen — American Revolutionary War Amerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg

1                 to be disguised as … als … verkleidet sein — to board a ship an Bord eines Schiffes gehen — to be docked angelegt sein — wharf Kai — cargo Fracht

2–5             chest Kiste — at low tide bei Ebbe — non-violent gewaltlos — society Vereinigung — liberty Freiheit — property Eigentum — padlock Vorhängeschloss — defiance Widerstand

6–7             climax Höhepunkt — dispute Streit — power-sharing Machtteilung — taxation Besteuerung — to pass (an act / a law) (ein Gesetz) verabschieden — to impose a tax on s.th. eine Steuer auf etw. erheben

Bild: Wikimedia Commons