The Boston Tea Party Incident - Coursework Example

The Boston Tea Party Incident 1. Using the critical thinking skills you have gained and the materials provided for this assignment, identify two possible strategies that Thomas Hutchinson or Samuel Adams, or both, likely used to develop and improve his thinking prior to taking a stand and acting according to his beliefs. With regard to the Boston Tea Party incident of 1773, it seems that Thomas Hutchinson and Samuel Adams were pitted against each other. Hutchinson was the appointed Royal Governor of Massachusetts and in fact was sympathetic to the needs of the colonized although his arbitrary orders that gave the British rights to search the persons and properties in the colonies without formal approval betrayed his real affiliations. Samuel Adams considered him a sympathizer of the British rule. Hutchinson, who had two sons in the tea trade as well, did not expect the colonists to react against the Tea Act by destroying the cargo of tea rather than returning it to Britain. 2. Explain the importance of building a foundation for critical and creative thinking when evaluating historical events such as the Boston Tea Party. It is very important to develop a foundation for critical and creative thinking before evaluating historical events such as the Boston Tea Party, because it helps us understand the reasons that such an incident took place. The Boston Tea Party while being an act of civil disobedience was nevertheless seen necessary to protect the rights of the locals and was a warning to the ruling powers that the colonists would never stand for arbitrary laws that did not have the support and backing of their local representatives. It sent a message to the British and at the same time, their plan of recovering losses on tea by charging 25% tax on tea exported to the colonies was made to fail. The locals saw it as authoritative and against the notion of allowing them to be taxed by their own local representatives. 3. Explain the basis of the moral judgments made by Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson. Samuel Adams played an important part in getting the colonized to band together against their British rulers. He thought it was time that such unjust and arbitrary laws were repealed and supported the idea of an organized revolt to warn the oppressors that they could not just take the locals for granted. He convened the meeting first to be held at Faneuil Hall but later moved to the Old South meeting hall. People left for the harbor from here to destroy the cargo of tea. Hutchinson urged the British Government not to let the incident go unpunished- the port of Boston was closed and the Coercive Acts promulgated in response (www.eyewitnesstohistory.com). 4. What steps do you think Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson took toward becoming individuals and which steps ultimately made them such important historical figures? Samuel Adams was instrumental in rousing the colony’s local sentiments against their British rulers. This was in fact an organized response to the unfair laws and taxation that was being imposed on the locals and is regarded as one of the precursors of the American Revolution. For this reason he is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the USA. Thomas Hutchinson must have been aghast and livid at such an act of blatant civil disobedience on the part of the locals-he must have not expected it. After this incident he urged the British to become more vigilant and alert to the actions of the locals. 5. In this class, we have discussed common habits that hinder critical thinking. Which of these habits may have been a factor in how Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson viewed the issues that led to the Boston Tea Party? How could they have overcome those habits? Given that Hutchinson had spent the major part of his adult life in politics and belonged to a well educated family, he mistakenly supposed that the locals were easily manageable and failed to see how the increasing injustice and arbitrary rulings could put enough stress on them to incite incidences of violence, retaliation and civil disobedience. He was losing control while not being aware of it. On the other hand, Adams did not expect that the Boston Tea Party would turn into an act of civil disobedience. All he wanted was a debate on what was to be done and a warning of sorts sent to the British Government. Yet he took the lead when the opportunity presented itself. 6. What is one important distinction you could not overlook making when critically evaluating the information provided in these materials about the Boston Tea Party? Clarify the importance of that distinction. When ruling or leading an organization, a team or a country, it is always best to keep the interests of the members in mind. This can help you understand what they want and seek to reward them in those terms while getting them to do what you expect and want out of them to achieve your goals. It is important to get the respect of the people you are ruling, rather than get them to obey out of fear, for one they will retaliate when the pressure and the oppression gets too much for them to bear. 7. What strategies of critical reading, listening, and viewing did you utilize when evaluating the provided materials? First I read fast and tried to get the overall picture of the whole incident. Then I read it again and again and looked at the causes that led to this event and the reasons that they put forward to justify their actions that made sense to me. I also looked at a couple of videos and saw the pictures in the history books regarding this incident. The whole thing when viewed as a whole gives me a better understanding of what happened and why- it is clear that there were compelling reasons behind this memorable historical event in the annals of American history (www.eyewitnesstohistory.com). 8. Considering what you have learned about the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Hutchinson, apply your creativity to describe what could have been done proactively to avoid the incident. For one thing, the whole unfortunate incident could have been avoided if the British had a better understanding of the subjects they were ruling over. Thomas Hutchinson was mistaken if he thought the locals would not retaliate- clearly they had a breaking point and the combined and cumulative injustices of the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act and the Tea Act incited them to an act of civil disobedience. If Lord North and Thomas Hutchinson had relented and had the Tea Act removed, none of this would have occurred. They simply should have got these laws accepted by the local’s representatives. 9. What techniques could you use to regain a level of curiosity about history or other subjects you learned about previously in school? History should not be a boring list of facts and figures about kings, queens, empires, their conquests and defeats and peace and war. Although this is mostly what we learn in history I believe a true history of any period can be found in the stories that recall and preserve daily instances of life and activities in that kingdom-that evoke its spirit of justice, equality or class differences and lifestyles. We should try to get access to novels, literature or other artifacts from that era in order to appreciate their beliefs and lifestyles. The best historical account would come from travelers or established historians of that age or era in history (www.eyewitnesstohistory.com). 10. Explain at least two key elements for producing ideas that you believe led the American colonists to the Boston Tea Party and the eventual American Revolution. As I have mentioned earlier as well, it is a known fact that no one likes to be cheated or made a fool of. The British policy of establishing the Tea Act was just to offset losses incurred due to the falling price of tea initiated by Dutch traders who were smuggling tea to the markets. Britain’s passing of the Tea Act meant that tea could be sold to people in the colonies and the losses recouped in this manner. The locals did not like this state of affairs. Secondly, they did not like to have to pay a tax that they had not agreed to. They would have been more receptive if they had agreed to the imposition of the taxes under the Tea Act. With the cumulative effects of the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act and the Tea Act behind them, the time was ripe for the Boston Tea Party incident and Paul Revere’s ride inciting the American Revolution. Works Cited The Boston Tea Party, 1773. EyeWitness to History Website, 2002. Accessed on 10 Dec 2011 at www.eyewitnesstohistory.com Read More