Today is the 250th anniversary of the Princeton Tea Burning.

Princeton students were upset with the tax on Dutch East India tea. British East India tea was exempt because the principals of B.E.I. had friends in high places.

NJDEP gave a presentation about the anniversary. It began with a brief history. That was followed with re-enactors reading speeches in support or against the king. I was surprised that the Loyalist position was presented.

The event concluded with the burning in effigy of Massachusetts Governor Hutchinson. (Photo below).

Did you take a side…?

Yes. The King was clearly justified in the taxation.

I was not there when the students burned the tea. You can’t prove anything. 

Did Dutch tea taste better than British tea? Was this a Coke versus Pepsi kind of thing?

yahooyahoo said:

Did Dutch tea taste better than British tea? Was this a Coke versus Pepsi kind of thing?

It would be more like the government taxed Pepsi so it was $10/bottle so Coke could then charge $7/bottle knowing Pepsi couldn’t compete.