National Hot Tea Month is celebrated in January so I thought it would be fun to look for stamps about tea.
The 1973 8c Boston Tea Party stamps (U.S. #1480-83) were issued by the United States Postal Service on July 4, 1973 in Boston. Each of these stamps costs 8 cents and celebrates an important event in American history: the Boston Tea Party. This event happened on December 16, 1773, when American colonists protested against British taxes by throwing tea into Boston Harbor.
There are four different stamps in this series, and each one shows a unique part of the Boston Tea Party. The first stamp features colonists dressed as Native Americans to hide their identities. The second stamp shows the tea being dumped into the water, which highlights the protest. The third stamp includes British ships that were in the harbor during the event, and the fourth stamp shows the Boston Harbor itself, where everything took place. Together, these stamps tell the story of how colonists took action against unfair taxes. The Boston Tea Party was important because it brought the colonists together in their fight for freedom from British rule. It inspired many people to stand up for their rights and helped lead to the American Revolution. The stamps serve as a reminder of how brave individuals can change history.
The History of Tea
Tea has a long and fascinating history that dates back thousands of years. The first known use of tea comes from China around 2737 BCE. According to legend, Emperor Shen Nong was boiling water when some tea leaves blew into his pot, creating the first cup of tea. The drink quickly became popular in China, where it was used for both its refreshing taste and medicinal qualities. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), tea had become a central part of Chinese culture, and it began to spread to other parts of Asia, including Japan and Korea. Tea was also traded along the famous Silk Road, helping it reach other parts of the world.
Tea arrived in Europe in the 16th century, brought by Portuguese and Dutch traders. The British developed a strong love for tea in the 17th century, and it became a key part of daily life. By the 18th century, the British East India Company played a major role in the tea trade, and the drink became a symbol of British society. In America, tea was popular until the American Revolution. Today, tea is enjoyed all over the world, with many countries developing their own special ways of drinking it.
References:
https://www.si.edu/object/8c-boston-tea-party-misregistered-block-four%3Anpm_2011.2016.3.1-4https://stamps.org/news/c/news/cat/boston-2026/post/third-boston-2026-label-now-availablehttps://www.mysticstamp.com/1480-83-1973-8c-boston-tea-party/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/teas-time-146624691/https://www.teausa.org/10017/about-tea
