The site itself is something I wish to develop further as I continue to research this topic so I have left room for sections to be filled in and added. Everything required for the the history 390 digital history project can be found on the site. My argument and topic are listed below as requested (this same text is divided up through my website):The history of tea in as it relates to American Culture is a very interesting subject and unique lens through which to look at American history as a whole. By following the history of Tea thought American society one can not only learn about the small customs, trends, and social lives of Americans in each decade stating with the right before the American Revolution up until present day but also but also see patterns of prosperity in consumerism as it related to the social forces and events during each decade. These insights can then lead one to further to say that the history of tea has impacted American culture in helping to developed the idea to some degree the “self made man” and define what it means to be American. It helps one understand the titles and images of American’s as innovators and go-getters characterized by hard work, perseverance, and innovation rooted in a strong belief system in liberty.

Tea had become and fairly popular and accepted drink in the American colonies by the 1750s. NY is thought to have been the key location where is was introduced the continent as initially a Dutch trading post that was taken over by the British who renamed it and developed into a town. It had not been around long however before it went from being and well liked beverage to a symbol of tyranny. The King of England had been laying heavy taxes on the colonists to help pay off the debts from their previous, most notably through the Stamp Act in 1773 required that the colonists pay high taxes on items such as paper, sugar, and tea. The American colonists began boycotting goods affected by the stamp act in protest to the taxation without representation and to demand that their voices be heard. On December 16, 2013 the colonists took more drastic action and when in the middle of the night a small group of men boarded three cargo ships of the East India Trading Company who had previously been docked in the Boston harbor for three months as they had not been permitted to unload their cargo, and dumped the 342 cases of tea into the water. Thus as the American Revolution began, “tea, having been the favorite beverage,” as Helen Saberi, author of Tea: a Global history says, “Became the symbol of oppression.”[1]

When the war was over tea consumption slowly began to increase and tea once again became a fairly popular beverage though out the 1800s which saw women using it for charity benefits and gathering together to take ‘low’ or afternoon tea. Tea Rooms became hugely popular in the early 1900s and acceptable places to for men and women to socialize together.  The World’s Trade Fair in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 marked a significant moment for not only America’s but also the world in general, as iced tea was first invented to provide refreshment to the fairs overheated guests. Saberi points out too how significant this was as today if one asks for tea it will be assumed one wants cold iced tea unless otherwise specified. That same year a New York tea importer also revolutionized the tea industry by creating the tea bag which was an immediate success as fit with the fast-paced American life style and the popularity of ‘ready-to-drink’ beverages and premade food.[2]

Tea was more popular among women however in the ‘20s and ‘30s saw an increase in men’s interest and consumption of tea. An article in the New York Times entitled, “Tea Drinking Among Americans Comes of Age: The Men Have Taken to the Cup That Cheers And Now Rival the Tea Tasters as Connoisseurs,” is one such example as it points out not only this social change but also the economic change that was taking place as tea consumption had increased by 14,236, 631 pounds bringing previous years total to 95,552, 828.[3] In America today the tea industry is thriving and larger than it has ever been with over 160 million American tea consumers. Teausa.org reported that, “2011 marked the second consecutive year that the USA imported more tea than the UK.”[4] Today half the population consumes at least one cup of tea a day and over half of that tea is made using tea bags rather than loose tea.

This site was developed to explore how Tea has influenced the modern American Culture. This was more challenging than I expected as there are not many comprehensive sources about the history of tea, especially in how it relates to American Culture, and in terms of digital sources. Tea is not often thought of as an American drink yet it has been popular and well-consumed since the 1750s, excluding the period during the American Revolution. This site seeks to be a good reference and digital source on the History of  Tea and explore it’s impact on American Culture. Visual representations and links to other digital sources of information of the topic will be a main goal of the site as well.

The security and preservation of the site will require continuous attention. As software changes links and other external sites and webpages which this Tea In American Culture links to with have to be updated and visual graphics recreated to reflect current information. Old graphics will be kept in order to begin developing a database of records and information on this subject.

Work Cited:

1. Helen Saberi. Tea: A Global History, (Reaktion Books, 2010) 115.

2. “Tea Fact Sheet.” Accessed May 8, 2013. http://www.teausa.org/14655/tea-fact-sheet.

3. Judy Graves. “Tea Drinking Among Americans Comes Of Age: The Men Have Taken to the ‘Cup That Cheers’ And Now Rival the Tea Tasters as Connoisseurs,” (New York Times, February 6, 1938, sec. Magazine) http://search.proquest.com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/102723287/abstract/13C2A4A9D773440A478/2?accountid=14541.

4. “Tea Fact Sheet.” Accessed May 8, 2013. http://www.teausa.org/14655/tea-fact-sheet.