Tea and United States

“The Dutch was introduced TEA to the America in 1640, and quickly became a staple in upper society households in the New Amsterdam.  The upper social classes already were the proud owners of expensive porcelain teapots, bowls, saucers, and tea trays.  By 1664 New Amsterdam was now known as New York, having been taken over by the British. They had a rich tradition of tea being a staple part of their daily life.  During this period England had a monopoly on the shipment of teas coming out of Asia, due to their control of the British East India Company.

Boston Tea Party – Boston tea party happened on December 16th 1773, when American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians were dumped about 92 thousand pound of tea belonging to the East India Company from their ships into the harbor in Boston. Protesting against changes in tea tax laws and prices which enabled the British to directly undercut US merchants. This protest concerned not only the tax on teas but also the monopoly of the East India Company. Predominantly made up of merchants and political change activists called Sons of Liberty.
The Boston Tea Party is one of the best known historical moments associated with tea and one that would pave the way to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. In the history say, that it also, in some ways, signaled the potential end to the tea-drinking or serving of tea was seen to be unpatriotic. This event is largely why tea has never been part of the national identity of the United States of America.

Teatown – There is a place in New Amsterdam as known as New York state called Teatown. The name Teatown dates back to 1776 when tea was scarce, due to British taxation. A man named John Arthur moved to an area in northern Westchester after hoarding a chest full of tea, with ideas to sell it for a massive profit. A group of women called the Daughters of Eve discovered that he had a stash of tea and demanded a reasonable price. He refused, so the woman besieged his home. After that, Mr. Arthur, in exchange for peace, agreed to sell the tea at a fair price. Now the area is known as Toytown.

Tea grown – South Carolina is the first place in the United State where tea was grown. French botanist Francois Andre Michaux, who planted 1st tea plant near Charleston at Middleton Barony, presently know as Middleton Place. By 1848, tea plants were being grown the state 0ver and Dr. Junius Smith a retired London Physician, attempted to produce tea commercially on this plantation. 

Iced Tea – Unlike most countries in the world, over 85% of all the tea that is drunk in the US is drunk as iced tea with added sugar!
In the history, some say that the origins of iced tea go back to 1904 during the World Fair in St. Louis, when Richard Blechynden(Black), an enterprising English merchant was in charge of the pavilion, Due to the blistering heat of the day, he was having little success in attracting visitors. Somewhat desperate to show off his tea, he decided to serve it cold in glasses filled with ice. This proved to be an instant success and this is the moment that iced tea is said to have caught the attention of tea drinkers across the states.
The truth is it was around a long time before then as it has appeared in an 1877 Cookbook named “Housekeeping in Old Virginia” by Marion Cabell Tyree.
Punches – However, the true origins of iced tea appear to go back much further as tea-based drinks known as “punches” were common in southern states in the early 1800s.These “punches” were actually cocktails of green tea and alcohol. An early recipe for one such beverage appeared in an 1839 cookbook entitled “The Kentucky Housewife” where author Lettice Bryan suggested combining,
1 1/2 pints of strong tea
2 1/2 cups of white sugar
1/2 pint of sweet cream, and a bottle of claret (dry red wine) or champagne. It said this beverage could be served hot or cold. 

Tea-Leaf Holder – In 1903 that the concept of the tea bag was patented. Roberta C. Lawson and Mary McLaren came up with the idea of a ‘tea-leaf holder’, for the the purpose of brewing a single serving of tea, instead of brewing a large quantity of tea in a tea pot.

The Invented of the Tea Bags  – Tea bags were popularized as a happy accident in 1908, Thomas Sullivan was an American tea and coffee importer who shipped out samples of tea packed in silk pouches. Some recipients mistakenly placed the silken bags directly into a teapot instead of emptying out the contents, then brewing tea using these bags became very popular among his customers. Tea bags became popular in the US due to easy of use, so commercial production beginning in the 1920’s.

The Teapot Dome Service Station is a former gas station built in the shape of a teapot located in Zillah, Washington. The station was built in 1922. It’s proofed how adapted and influenced tea in the United State.

South Carolina State Hospitality Beverage – In April 1995, South Carolina’s grown tea was officially adopted as the official Hospitality Beverage of the State. 

Food Holidays – 
January is National Hot Tea month and January 12th is National Hot Tea Day.
June is National Iced Tea month and June 10th is National Iced Tea Day.

Lipton Tea – Sir Thomas Lipton lived in Glasgow during the late 19th century. He imported tea from Sri-Lanka (then called Ceylon), he then packaged it and sold it as Lipton Tea. He sold the company which was subsequently moved to a new headquarters in New Jersey.

Root Beer – Originally, Root Beer was called root Tea. It was created in the late 19th century by a pharmacist called Charles Elmer Hires who lived in Pennsylvania. Although in truth, he got the idea whilst staying at a hotel in New Jersey where he was served ‘Root Tea’. It was served ready steeped – much like Tea was.
Originally Charles Elmer Hires had difficulty selling his ‘Root Tea’ as most of his local customers were coal miners and
not accustomed to buying Tea! It’s at this point he named it ‘Root Beer’ and it’s popularity soared.

Tea consumption per capita is the Unites States at around 69th place, among the tea producing countries.”

Reference:
1. City of Zillah web – https://www.cityofzillah.us/visitors/zillah_teapot.php#prettyPhoto. 
2. State Symbols USA web –https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/south-carolina/state-food-agriculture- symbol/south-carolina-grown-tea. 
https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/state-holiday-event/american-holidays.
4. The Tea Book All Things Tea by Lousie Cheadle and Nick Kilby
5. Divinitea web –https://www.divinitea.com/tea-bags-were-invented-on-accident/.
6. Chadotea web – https://www.chadotea.com/blogs/blog/history-of-tea-in-america.
7. History of Tea in SC –  https://www.sciway.net/tourism/tea-history.html.
Trying to give more, accurate, updates, moderated information to citizen who love Tea. Thank you very much for the referral that I used for make this article – Jeewaka