Boston Tea Party

In Boston the duty was circumvented by merchants getting tea which was smuggled by Dutch traders. This raised quite an uproar in the colonies so the act was repealed in 1770, all except the duty on tea, which was retained to prove that Parliament could raise revenue by taxing without the approval of the colonists. In 1767 British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, a duty (tax) on various products imported by the colonists.

The early settlers in the British colonies were great tea drinkers and Britain was immersed in financial difficulties at the time.
It allowed tea to be shipped only in East India Company ships and consigned tea to its own special agents in the colonies who could undersell the colonial merchant who had bought his tea through a middleman or Dutch smugglers at much higher prices. The Tea Act passed a duty on tea and provided for a monopoly on all tea exported to the colonies. Then in 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act designed to aid the East India Tea Company which was on the verge of bankruptcy with loads of tea they were unable to sell.
(No taxation without representation.) Much of the ballyhoo was about Britain taxing the colonists without them having a say. And it created a monopoly for the East India Company. It would reduce already established colonial merchants to ruin. Even though Britain was offering tea to the colonies at a cheaper price than they could get it and thought the colonists would favor this, (wrong) it caused quite a rant among the colonists.
In New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston, tea agents resigned and canceled orders. In some ports they refused to pay the tax or offload ships. There was a boycott on tea with women becoming leaders in the movement.
A Lady's Adieu to Her Tea-Table FAREWELL the Tea-board with your gaudy attire,
Ye cups and ye saucers that I did admire;
To my cream pot and tongs I now bid adieu;
That pleasure's all fled that I once found in you.
Farewell pretty chest that so lately did shine,
With hyson and congo and best double fine;
Many a sweet moment by you I have sat,
Hearing girls and old maids to tattle and chat;
And the spruce coxcomb laugh at nothing at all,
Only some silly work that might happen to fall.
No more shall my teapot so generous be
In fillin the cups with this pernicious tea,
For I'll fill it with water and drink out the same,
Before I'll lose LIBERTY that dearest name,
Because I am taught (and believe it is fact)
That our ruins is aimed at in the late act,
Of imposing a duty on all foreign teas,
Which detestable stuff we can quit when we please.
LIBERTY'S the Goddess that I do adore,
And I'll maintain her right until my last hour,
Before she shall part I will die in the cause
For I'll never be govern'd by tyranny's laws.
(Source: A Handbook of the American Wing, N.Y. 1924, from Le Centre d'histoire de Montréal)
Over 5,000 people from Boston and surrounding areas met with the governor to send the ships back to England since particularly disturbing in Boston the royal governor Thomas Hutchinson demanded that arriving ships would be able to deposit their cargoes and duties would be paid. The colonies linked together in a common cause.
On December 16, 1773, disguised as Mohawk Indians, American Patriots boarded the tea ships and threw 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company into Boston Harbor.
These acts united the colonies and set the stage for the Revolutionary War. In retaliation, Parliament passed what was known by the colonists as the Intolerable Acts, among other things closing the Boston Port until they paid for the destroyed tea.
See
http://www.tea-spice-and-everything-nice.com
for inspirational writings and selections of tea, spice, teapots, spice racks, pepper mills, gifts for the tea drinker, and many other special items

Loose Tea in the American Marketplace

The American tea market
Traditionally, the marketplace for tea drinkers in the United States has been limited.
Although loose tea was extremely popular in colonial times, the consumption of loose tea gradually changed and recently the American market for tea has been generally confined to iced tea and tea in bags.
Loose tea was introduced to America at the same time of introduction to Europe. As early as 1650 Dutch traders were active in the tea trade and Peter Stuyvesant, as an early governor of the New York colony, brought the first tea to New York. Loose tea was so popular in colonial New York that at one time the small colony consumed more loose tea than all of England. This popularity was equally evident in the other colonies.
America made two unique contributions to the tea world in the form of bagged tea. Gradually however, the American tea market changed.
There is growing resurgence of demand for loose tea in the United States however, driven by a greater awareness of the health benefits and quality of the loose tea experience. As demand increases, new opportunities arise for the entrepreneur who wishes to market and sell loose tea.
How do loose tea and tea bags compare?
Most experts compare loose tea and tea in bags in four ways:
1. Most of the tea that goes into bags in not high quality. Tea bags usually contain broken grades so infusion takes place quickly
2. Whole leaf loose teas come in a larger number of varieties than bagged tea and some higher quality teas are only found in loose offerings
3. Bags are semi-nonbiodegradable additions to biodegradable tea leaves with implications for the environment
Generally speaking, tea bags have historically offered greater convenience although e-commerce now offers tea drinkers the convenience of on line ordering and home delivery 4.
Is loose tea more costly than tea bags?
Many advocates of bagged tea in believe that loose tea costs more than tea in bags. Actually, most good tea is not very expensive and can be very cost effective. When you buy tea in bags, most of what you pay for is the process of putting the teas in the bags, and the brand name advertising. Fancy tea is generally sold loose, and the price per cup is often lower than for commercial bagged tea.
High quality loose leaf tea is typically not available in supermarkets; but a good mail order web site will accept and process orders rapidly and offer the convenience of home delivery. When one considers that most loose teas support multiple infusions the prices drop dramatically. Some truly fine teas retail in the United States retail for less than US$20 per pound, which means less than 10 cents per cup.
E-commerce and affiliate programs
Opportunities for sale of loose tea are particularly attractive when combined with effective e-commerce through affiliate programs.
The affiliate arrangement is a way for a company to sell its products by signing up individuals or companies ("affiliates") who market the company's products for a commission.
Affiliate programs afford a small entrepreneur the ability to leverage the website of the tea manufacturer through their own affiliate site. Through this technique the affiliate can minimize their investment and maximize their return. An affiliate relationship is established by agreement between the affiliate and the manufacturer whereby each party benefits.
Most good affiliate programs share a number of characteristics: The affiliate must be provided with marketing support, account feedback and prompt payment of earned commissions. There is more to an affiliate relationship than a simple agreement however.
• Real-time reporting statistics
• Real-time email alerts upon each sale
• Payment on a consistent monthly basis for initial and repeat orders
• High price-point products that are easy to sell and allow for substantial affiliate commissions
• A comprehensive package of rich content articles and banner advertising that the affiliate can reprint and use for marketing
Of special note for marketing support is the availability of banner ads that are high quality and effective. These are particularly useful affiliate marketing tools.
The customer service issue:
Tea drinkers are very loyal but demand high quality products and premium customer service. As a result, customer service in the form of rapid and correct order processing and fulfillment, notification of orders and shipments, proper pricing and an emphasis on customer satisfaction is a necessary part of the affiliate relationship.
If customer service is inadequate then this will severely impact affiliate business and the affiliate reputation. Conversely, if customer satisfaction is high, a steady stream of repeat orders will be ensured and the affiliate will share in the additional revenue.
Choose a loose tea supplier that has a rich affiliate program, a reputation for consistent high quality products, an e-commerce site that is powerful and allows easy ordering and a company with a reputation for excellent customer service.

Healthy Famous Tea

Antioxidants in tea are similar as those found in fruits and vegetables, such as vitamin A, C and E, which offer protection against free radicals that cause cell and gene damage. Tea polyphenols are are compounds in tea leaves that are natural plant antioxidant. Well known as a source for various nutrients and antioxidants, tea has gained even more popularity in modern times with claims of it's usefulness in fighting heart disease, cancer, obesity, tooth decay, nausea, and all manner of digestive disorders.Thirty percent of the dry weight of tea leaves is polyphenols, which cause the taste of tea. It was Dutch traders that first brought tea to Europe but the British who greatly developed it, transplanting it to India in the early 1800's.

Since the fifth century AD, tea has been exported by land and sea throughout Asia and reached Europe in 1610. It was originally taken as a detoxifying medicine though it grew to great social prominence during the Tang (620-907 AD) and Sung (960-1279 AD) Dynasties. It is thought to have first been discovered in the mountainous areas of China's far western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Historically, tea's origins date back to around 2700 BC.
The Natural Way To A Clear Mind
The unique combination of relaxation Now that's when the miracle of Theanine unfolds. Studies have also pointed out how Theanine could effectively promote creativity. The effect is higher mental focus, better concentration and sharper memory. And just as you're prefectly settled, Theanine raises your level of mental alertness by stimulating your brain to increase its production of alpha brain waves.

In short, it's the Theanine in your cup of tea that calms you in just the right way to put you in place and bring you to your 'comfort zone'. But it's also the reason why you don't fee sleepy when drinking tea. Theanine is the very reason why you're not as hyperactive when you drink tea as compared to when you drink tea as compared to when you drink coffee. Scientific research has validated the link between Theanine and a perfect state of calmness.

Not a lot of people may know what it is but Theanine is certainly one of the big reasons why more and more are turning to tea nowadays as their beverage of choice. It's called Theanine and it's found almost exclusively in the tea plant. Research has finally named the secret that has linked tea with mental vitality.
Healthy Famous Tea
http://healthy-famous-tea.blogspot.com