Les 4eLLCE à la découverte du nouveau monde ! #westward

Well let me present this document to you: the document is a lithograph which represents American settlers, in the city of Indianapolis. The author is Nathaniel Currier, the lithograph is exhibited at the Museum of Art in the USA. The date of the lithograph is 1846. The title of this lithograph is « The destruction of the at Boston Harbor ».

On the lithograph I can see many people looking angry, throwing cans of tea into Boston Harbor. There are 2 ships and in the background. You can see a building. I guess this building serves as a refuge for American settlers. You can also see they are wearing various shades of blue, red and yellow oufits and we will find out why they got there.

The Boston Tea Party is a landmark event in American history. It took place on December 16, 1773 in the Harbor of Boston, a city in the British colony of America. This act of protest was one of the triggers of the American Revolution.

In the 18th century, North America was made up of 13 colonies belonging to the British Empire. These colonies were populated by European settlers who had to pay taxes. But a big problem arose : the colonists did not have representatives in the British Parliament. This situation gave rise to the slogan : No taxation without representation.

Indeed in 1765, Britain imposed a new tax, that on tea. In 1773, the British government granted a trading monopoly to the East India Company, which sold tea. This meant that settlers could only buy their tea from this company, often at high prices. This decision angered the settlers.
To protest this injustice, a group of settlers called the Sons of Liberty decided to take action. On december 16th, 1773, disguised as Native Americans so as not to be recognized, they boarded British ships in Boston Harbor. These ships carried cargoes of tea.

The Sons of Liberty threw 342 cases of tea into the water, or approximately 45 tons of tea. This symbolic gesture shows their refusal to pay the taxes imposed by Great Britain. In september 1774, representatives of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to organize a common resistance.
Tensions continued to escalate, and in April 1775, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War broke out at Lexington and Concord. The colonists, now called Patriots, wanted their independance.

Finally, in 1776, the colonies proclaimed their independence by signing the Declaration of Independence. This declaration marked the beginning of the birth of the United States of America.

The Boston Tea Party is more than just an event where tea was thrown into the sea. It is a symbol of the fight for freedom and equality. It showed that settlers were willing to risk their safety to defend their rights, and it paved the way for the American Revolution and the creation of a new independent nation.

First, let me present what led to the now famous Boston Tea Party and the setters’ story.

Back in the 17th century, Puritains left England to the new world on board of the Mayflower. Indeed, Puritains didn’t find James I was protestant enough. His protestanism was not pure enough. As a consequence, they were persecuted. That’s why they decided to England. They left Plymouth in 1620. They traveled 1 month on the Ocean in extremely rough conditions: they didn’t have any food.

Puritains, later called Pilgrims or Saints arrived in the New World. Oblivious of the indigenous tribes already living there, they called it New England and founded a city named Plymouth, as a tribute to their homeland. Later, they would create 13 colonies. There were some conflicts with the Natives among the colonies because settlers litteraly exterminated the Natives.

Some two centuries later the colonies were still ruled by an English governor appointed by the British King. The settlers were now calling themselves Americains and didn’t agree with the rules. First of all, their gouvernor didn’t sit in the English Parlement and would not take part in the making of the laws. Second of all, they had to pay taxes while they were not represented in the English Parlement. At last, this new tax on on tea was the last blow, as tea drinking was very much a custom. People came up with a slogan to protest : « No taxation without representation ».

People were not happy and, in 1770, the Boston Tea Party began. This is what is depicted in this document I would like to present. It is a litograph by Nathaniel Currier, who draw it in 1846. It is now exhibited at the Museum of art, in Indianapolis,U.S.

Nathaniel Carrier named it the destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor. In the litograph, two ships are docked in the port of Boston and Natives seem to be throwing at sea boxes of tea coming from the UK. In the port, we can see many Americans who are cheering this little revolution. They are waving their hats to the boat. On the left, I can see a building : people are cheering at the windows and witnessing History happening.

I’m not sure but I believe the people wearing feathers onboard the boats were not Natives settlers dressed-up to cheat on the king and give the impression the Natives are rebelling against the governor. Indeed the newly American settlers were scared of King George III and were not ready to embrace the consequences.

The King would eventually retaliate and will send the military to control the land even more. This event will trigger the war between the new world and the old continent.

Let me present this lithograph. The title of this document is Destruction of tea at Boston Harbor. The author of the lithograph is Nathaniel Currier. The lithograph has been exhibited in the museum of art in Indianapolis in USA ever since 1846.

The lithograph is a representation of an American colonists dressed-up as Native Americans throwing boxes of tea in the ocean because they refused to pay taxes. In the foreground there is a large crowd. In the background there are 2 boats aboard which Indian-looking people are throwing boxes of tea in the ocean.

Eversince 1607 colonists from Europe have always wanted to settle in a new world. The English were followed by people from France, Spain and Portugal.

Well, first, let us present the nature of this document. This document is a Lithograph drawn by Nathaniel Currier in 1846.We can read the title of the Lithograph at the bottom : The destruction of tea at Boston. It has been exhibited in the Museum of Art in Indianapolis, in the USA.

Now, let us describe this Lithograph. In the foreground, there are a lot of Americans who are protesting against the English given that they are throwing boxes over board. We are not certain but we think there are many settlers dressed as Native Americans against taxes. The settlers dread reprisal measures taken against them.

Then, on the left, in the second ground, there is an old looking building. We are not sure but we suppose this building is actually the house of the governor perhaps, it also was deteriorated by settlers who are on the boats.

Next, in the background, we can see montaigns who seem height.

After, let’s go back to the foreground, we can see the English are raising their hats to show their anger.

Next, moving on to the reason why the Americans were rebelling against the English king. First, in 1620, Puritains boarded the Mayflower to cross the Atlantic to go to the New World given that James I was not advocating a pure enough form of protestantism. They were persecuted. The Puritains left with 102 people and arrived with 102 peoples too, whereas the voyage was 2 month long, they had neither food nor water.

At Last, 200 years later, actually the English King was George III. The Americans started to have expectations. They wouldn’t pay taxes without an American representative. In fact, their motto was : « No taxation without Representation » and the colonies refused to pay the taxes. So, it comes to tensions that escalated in the 1760s and 1770s : Boston tea party in 1773 was the start of the Revolution in Boston, to protest against the new tea taxes. Later, Great Britain dismissed Massachusett gouvernment which became ruled by an army. It was an outrage : leaders from all 13 colonies gothered, and created the first continental congress to coordinate their resistance. They called for a boycott of British trade and petitioned the King. It was not about independance at that point.

But this appeal had no effect given that the King refused to give their independance so the Americans were angry after the Americans throwing boxes of tea to make the English understand they are really mad. Afterwards, the Americans declared for themselves their independance.

The document is a lithograph drawn by Nathaniel Currier in 1846. A lithograph is a planographic printmaking process. The work of art can be duplicated. This picture is exposed in the Museum of Art in Indianapolis in the United States of America. The title of the document is THE DESTRUCTION OF TEA AT BOSTON HARBOR.

First, the colonists wanted a colonial representation of themselves in England and their motto was no taxation without representation but they did not ask for their independence yet. They finally asked for their independence in 1776. They asked for self government, liberty, equality, independence and help from other nations.

In the foreground at the bottom and on the left hand side, you can see colonists who are brandishing their hats in the sky. In the background on the right and on the left hand side, you can see ships with Natives onboard who are throwing tea overboard in the sea because the British taxed the tea. Actually, they were colonists dressed up as Natives, so they would not take the blame. You can also see a destroyed house on the left hand side.