BOSTON TEA PARTY MOVEMENT

BOSTON TEA PARTY MOVEMENT

            We have heard of revolutionary wars as well as the declaration of independence from different people, and probably perceived those events as instrumental in regard to establishing the current United States of America. Fourth of July in every year, America’s independence is also celebrated with barbeques and fireworks. The forefathers of this nation like George Washington, Jeff Kennedy have also been told from generation to generation[1]. However, equally important revolutionary events like the Boston Tea Party have been neglected despite of their impacts on the lives enjoyed by the American people today.

Fueled by the hostility behavior of the tyrannical mother country, Britain, Americans were left with no any other alternative rather than fighting back because war was the only alternative to solve the disputes. The Boston Tea Party became the cross bridge to make America a republic of liberty and justice[2]. It became a spark which most people refer to as a “fuse of America”[3]. Afterwards, the fuse exploded to a revolutionary war, and when things cooled down, colonies regained their freedom. Boston Tea Party therefore had great impacts to the lives of American’s out of its key role in the attainment of the country’s independence.

Being the first step towards attaining the independence, it paved a way for much more struggles until independence of America was realized[4]. After the independence, and the goal behind the movement having been achieved, the movement went dormant for years until 2009 when we realized the rebirth of the movement, not because the colonists had reappeared, but because the ruling class had turned to be the colonists of its own citizens[5].

The rebirth of Tea party is traced to the year 2009, a few months after Obama’s inauguration. This has been associated with Santelli’s famous outburst on CNBC which ignited the party gatherings among different nations and branded it the name. The inception of this party afresh was not however because of Obama taking office, and also had no attachment with politics of race. Additionally, the movement did not concern Democrat or Republican politics or power. It all entailed the citizens of America versus the hubris politics which were taking place in Washington. So, the party was a main street of America citizen’s condemnation against the political class[6].

This movement had been dormant for years, in minds and hearts of the loyal citizens who at the juncture began to develop concern on the deterioration of the policies which were being initiated at the time. The dawn of this movement came about not because there was anybody or any political influence which was directing it but because American citizens had begun to feel being dragged back to the era of colonialism[7]. Similarly, the Tea Partiers had sensed of the government to be increasingly antithetical in regard to citizen’s natural rights, threatening enmity between the government and the common citizens had also become rampant.

Observing the movement together with its members, the truths which had been outspoken during the Declaration of Independence in regard to citizen’s natural rights were being violated under bright sunlight. The government had re-possessed those rights and the receiving end was its normal citizens whereas the political class was comfortably living their lives. Considering that natural rights were not subject to government regulations, it was not supposed to have a figure on those rights in terms of altering, adjusting or reducing them. It was therefore as a result of government interfering with the natural rights that the rebirth of Tea Party was observed.

References

Micheletti, Michele, and Andrew S. McFarland. Creative participation: Responsibility-taking in    the political world. Routledge, 2015.

Street, Paul, and Anthony R. Dimaggio. Crashing the Tea Party: mass media and the campaign   to remake American politics. Routledge, 2015.

Maxwell, Angie, and T. Wayne Parent. “The Obama trigger: presidential approval and Tea Party             membership.” Social Science Quarterly 93, no. 5 (2016): 1384-1401.

Tilly, Charles, and Lesley J. Wood. Social Movements 1768-2012. Routledge, 2015.

Evans, Marianne Bristow, and Sarah K. Clark. “Finding a place for CCSS literacy skills in the      middle school social studies curriculum.” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational   Strategies, Issues and Ideas 88, no. 1 (2015): 1-8.

[1] Micheletti, Michele, and Andrew S. McFarland. Creative participation: Responsibility-taking in the political world. Routledge, 2015.

[2] Micheletti, Michele, and Andrew S. McFarland. Creative participation: Responsibility-taking in the political world. Routledge, 2015.

[3] Evans, Marianne Bristow, and Sarah K. Clark. “Finding a place for CCSS literacy skills in the middle school social studies curriculum.” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 88, no. 1 (2015): 1-8.

[4] Street, Paul, and Anthony R. Dimaggio. Crashing the Tea Party: mass media and the campaign to remake American politics. Routledge, 2015.

[5] Maxwell, Angie, and T. Wayne Parent. “The Obama trigger: presidential approval and Tea Party membership.” Social Science Quarterly 93, no. 5 (2012): 1384-1401.

[6] Tilly, Charles, and Lesley J. Wood. Social Movements 1768-2012. Routledge, 2015.

[7] Evans, Marianne Bristow, and Sarah K. Clark. “Finding a place for CCSS literacy skills in the middle school social studies curriculum.” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 88, no. 1 (2015): 1-8.