Celebrate Independence Day and Tea’s Role in Our History!

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The Fourth of July is one of the highlights of summer in the U.S.A. and for Bigelow Tea. Friends and families get together at poolside gatherings, backyard picnics, beach parties and fireworks displays to celebrate our nation’s independence. Today, the central role for tea on July 4th is one of being chilled on ice, and served in a pitcher alongside hamburgers, hot dogs and fried chicken. With a little lemon or mint, iced tea on a hot summer day is as delicious and refreshing as it gets!

Other than enjoying their iced teas on a sunny summer day, most people may not immediately think that the Fourth of July and tea go hand in hand, but it’s true. In fact, without tea there might not even be an Independence Day in the U.S!

As every student of American history knows, the Boston Tea Party was one of the key events in the struggle between England and the colonists. In response to King George The III of England’s attempts to tax their favorite beverages, including tea, the colonists took action. On December 16, 1773, about 200 colonists (some dressed as Native Americans) boarded three ships in Boston Harbor and threw their cargo of tea into the water. Historians believe that the tea tax and subsequent Boston Tea Party spurred the colonists to action towards the American Revolution.

Bigelow Tea wishes you all a happy and safe Fourth of July…and as you sip your iced tea, take a moment to remember tea’s role in our nation’s history and those brave colonists who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today as Americans!