The Boston Tea Party

by Benjamin Woods Labaree

" A brilliant and scholarly demonstration of the way a single act of violence can affect the course of history. ... The reasons for the resort to war ... have never been brought into such clear focus as through the lens of this remarkable study." - Julian P. Boyd, editor, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson
"One of the most important books ever written about the origins of the American Revolution." - Journal of American History

Genres: History, American Revolution, Nonfiction

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Benjamin Woods Labaree is a historian of American colonial and maritime history. The son of Yale University Farnam Professor of History Leonard Woods Labaree, he earned his bachelors degree (1950) there, followed by Masters (1953) and Ph.D. (1957) in history at Harvard University.

After receiving several teaching positions at Harvard, he was appointed dean (1963-67) of Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he remained a professor of history until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1992, and continued to teach as a visiting professor at several institutions until 1998. He also served as Director of the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime History, and was Director of the Williams College-Mystic Seaport Program (commonly called Williams-Mystic) at Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut, 1977–89.

Reviews

[Geo Forman · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story of how we got to that point and what happened afterwards. an old book from my college days, required reading in my history of American revolution class. worht the re-read. the understanding level is much different than it was as a twenty year old. I didn't remember that Boston had being considered by fellow colonies as drifting away from their patriotic roots. it was though they had to do something drastic about the tea situation just to prove they still "had it"

[Mark Blane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the introduction and final chapter, this book is rather dense in an academic kind of way. That is not to say it not well written, but can be a little dry at times. Also, Labaree does not necessarily go in chronological order with his writing. Beyond that, it is a satisfying read that will give you a better understanding on the lead up and carrying out of the Boston Tea Party, and its political fallout. Per Labaree, the Boston Tea Party was the catalyzing event that lit the fuse of the American Revolution.

[Hajar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a bore.