History Of Tee: From Chisese Dynasties To Modern Times

The creation of tea is hundreds of years old and has changed a lot over time. The founding of tea dates back to the T’chang Dynasty, discovered by the Chinese sage Emperor Shennong. The story is told by saying that a few tea leaves fell into his cup of hot water from a burning tea twig nearby, which lead into the founding of the wonderful plant. The founding of this wonderful plant changed history in a very impactful way, from the trade of it to only being able to afford it if you were rich and wealthy. The trading and founding of tea has caused many events in history to happen that have a great impact on the lives we have today. From the Boston Tea Party to now modern day, tea has always had a impact on the way we live. The founding of tea is remarkable to our history, it gave us the lives we have today. The way its been brewed, packaged in, and has caused major events in history has changed our lives dramatically overtime.

The begining of tea starts in the T’chang Dynasty in 2737 BCE by a Emperor named Shennong (History para 1). The story has it that a few leaves fell from a burning tea twig into his hot cup of water, causing the creation and founding of tea. The legend says when he drank the new brew, he felt a warm feeling as if the liquid was traveling throughout his entire body (History para 1). “The Emperor named the new brew “‘ch’a’” which means to check or investigate” (History para 2). In the T’chang Dynasty tea was known as a type of art form and was a great source of making money. From the 4th century to the 8th tea began to grow major in popularity throughout China. “It was no longer just used for medicinal purposes, it was used a a everyday refreshment and pleasure” (History para 3). Great tea plantations grew everywhere in China, this cause tea merchants to became rich and wealthy. The Chinese Empire was very protected on the growth and creation of the ellegant crop. “They thought of the crop as so pure, that only young women were the only ones who were aloud to handle tea leaves” (History para 4). “They also were not aloud to eat garlic, onions, or strong spices so that the strong odor couldn’t contaminate the tea leaves” (History para 4). Until the mid 17th century, all the tea in China was Green tea. But when foreign trade increased around the world, the Chinese farmers then realized they could do a special fermentation process that creates a new type of tea known as Black tea. The advantages about Black tea is that it kept its flavor and aroma more so than Green tea. Black tea was also better used on long expeditions to other countries which benefited the Chinese greatly (History para 5). “Tea remained a intergral part of the Chinese culture for thousands of years” (History para 6). Tea in modern day China now acts as a symbol of the country’s history, religion and culture.

Later begins tea in Europe and the Boston Tea Party, which had alot to do with the history we have today. Tea in Europe was known as a luxary and you could only afford it if you had some kind of wealth. But when Europe became in debt they starting putting more taxes on desirable items that people enjoyed, this caused a outrage in the colonies and Europe. This now begins the start of the rebellion to boycott the British. “On November 27, 1773 the first ship in the Boston Harbor arrives, it was called the Dartmouth” (Boston Tea Party para 7). “Then the second ship arrives, the Eleanor on December 2nd and on December 15th the Beaver docked at the harbor” (Boston Tea Party para 7). “The English announced that the taxes be paid on the tea by December 17th, but on Dec 16th more than 5,000 people gather at the Old South Meeting House in Boston” (Boston Tea Party para 8). They planned a action that the British will never forget, the people of the action dressed as Native Americans and boarded the 3 ships. The attack was led by the Sons of Liberty and Samuel Adams. Samuel Adams was a known as a founding father and was the main person who lead the protests against Bristish taxation. “Samuel Adams and the colonists began to sieze and dumb the tea into the harbor, the protesters destroyed over 342 crates which weighed up to 92,000 pounds” (Boston Tea Party para 9). The value of tea destroyed was estimated to be worth over 1.7 millions dollars in today’s economy (Boston Tea Party para 9). When the news about the Boston Tea Party his England, it made British officials furious. In response to the act of the colonists the English enacted a series of harsh punishments known as the Intolerable Acts. The British being furious demanded that the colonists must pay for the tea and closed the port of Boston, until the price for all the tea was made (Boston Tea Party para 10). The Intolerable acts caused the colonists to house any British soilder that needed housing and resticted public meetings. But even with these restrictions the colonists got stronger and strengthened there revolutionary spirit. This later lead to the Revolutionary War in 1776, when the colonists finally set apart from England and became independent (Boston Tea Party para 11). There was also a second Boston Tea Party that occured in March of 1774, when about 60 Bostonians boarded the ship called Fortune and dumbed nearly 30 chests of tea into the harbor. This act was not as noticeable as the first one, but it did encourage other types of tea dumping.

Everyone thinks that tea is a southern drink, in some ways it is but its more than that. Southerners have their own way of making tea. Most of the people in the South like tea prepared sweet and savory. “They refer to tea as not only a summer drink, but a drink they have with every meal” (Stradley para 2). “When you’re in a restraunt in the South and ask for iced tea chances are that it will be sweet” (Stradley para 2). Tea in America was first grown in the state of North Carolina and was commercially grown there. “Historians all agree that the tea plant first arrived in the late 1700’s, when a French explorer known as Andre Michaux started a tea garden near the city of Charleston at Middleton Barony” (Stradley para 4). Then in the early 1800’s the first recipe in a American cookbook appeared, but it was first used as a alchohol punch. The punches were made with Green tea, rather then the more common type of tea today known as Black tea. Tea in the South was known as “the house wine of the South”. When refrigeration became popular households in the South began to keep it iced on hand. “The first known recipe of iced tea, prepared how it is today, was written in 1879 in a publication called Housekeeping in Old Virginia” (Stradley para 8). Most Southerners see tea as a drink that has to be really sweet, they enjoy the sweetest whisky, they also like their pecan pie sweeter then normal. Handing someone a glass of sweet tea in the South is a welcoming gesture. Tea in the South also has to be fresh because most southerners can tell the difference between fresh and not fresh, they need to have the sweetest of the sweet and the best of the best.

This now begins the history of modern tea in today’s society, modern tea in ususally packaged in a tea bag made of silk or sometimes just bought loose in store. You can almost buy tea wherever you go, such as a grocery store, baseball game, and even at a zoo is you want. You can get it in almost every drink vending machine you go to and can get it in a bottle, can, or you can make it yourself. Tea is no longer known as a luxary and is drank is everyday life for some people. Also, over the years they have added flavoring to tea like raspberry, lemon, peach, and several other flavors. There are also several different types of tea, them being White tea, Oolong tea, Green tea, Herbal tea, and Black tea (Types of Tea 1). These different types of teas all have different health benefits that affect you and could help in later life, for example White tea helps keep your blood pressure down, lower your chloestrol and even helps prevents people from having cancer (Types of Tea para 1). Tea can even affect the way you look in good ways also, some types of teas help give you better skin, better teeth, and also effects your metabolism (Health Benefits 1). The ways tea effects the human body is pretty remarkable it makes you have a happy immune system, helps you sleep better, it also aids in cell regeneration which helps to prevent cancer and it is proven that tea drinkers wake up more energized and happy. (Health Benefits 1). “America has quadrupled the tea market from 1993-2008, it is now being worth over 6.8 billion dollars, it is also known as the most widely consumed beverage around the world, it has both historical and cultural importance that cannot be rivaled” (Orgins para 9).

The history of tea is remarkable and has effected everyone in some type of way. From the way we live, even to our lives everyday. The History of tea is honestly more interesting then most people think, due to the fact that its what made this country how it is today. Tea caused this country to be independent and it has also caused many important roles in history. Such as trade among everyone back in the T’chang Dynasty and in early Europe. The early trade is what developed our world to be what it is. It helps create jobs for people and can make people a lot of money of they know what they are doing. It has health benefits that could potentialy save someones life and someones look. It helps prevent a disease called cancer that kills millions of people throughout the year. Tea shouldn’t be known as just a beverage for everyday drinking it should be seen as a necessity to people to keep them healthy and feeling good.