In several instances, tea has acted as a catalyst for historical change. This might seem like an absurd idea, but in the book, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, the author outlines the many reasons why this is true. The most obvious historical change that tea caused was of course the Boston Tea Party, but the story I have chosen for today is a little less well-known
When tea was introduced to Great Britain in 1662, it was only readily available to the wealthier class. The cost for the lower class was too high and so they turned to alternative methods for acquiring tea at a cheaper price. Tea smuggling was a popular trade at the time. It was a popular commodity, easy to store and very light. The majority of tea smugglers came from China, and this meant that legitimate tea sellers in Britain were losing money to the black market tea trade. They were also losing money due to China’s restrictions on the trade of (you guessed it) opium. This got to be just too much for the British government to handle so the British East India Company decided to learn how to make tea on their own. They sent spies into the ports of China to learn the mysterious methods of how to grow and harvest tea leaves. The spies had to dress in traditional Chinese attire and bring translators, as the Chinese were not welcoming to foreigners. Many of the spies were successful in acquiring tea, but the long trek back to England was often too much for the delicate leaves.
As the spies snuck around China, the Chinese government was struggling to deal with their population, who was highly addicted to opium. The country was losing money fast. In the mean time, Britain was trying to figure out how to legally sell opium in China and as they entered into a war with China, the sale of tea is what kept them from bankruptcy and essentially funded their military. Their newfound tea sales as well as some of the tea spies turning to military spies aided Britain in hanging in the fight long enough to win.
So there you have it. Tea played a sneaky role in swaying the outcome of the Opium War, much to the relief of Great Britain. However, Great Britain probably wasn’t so thankful when tea made its next appearance in Boston.
Nicholas Karafilis says
That is so interesting! Thank you for sharing this! It’s funny how something so little can have major, long-lasting impacts. Did you know World War I was started over a sandwich? It’s true! Look it up!
Nicholas Larimer says
Who would’ve guessed that tea could have changed history in more ways than just the Boston Tea Party. This story was very interesting and it just goes to show that tea is and has been powerful.
Alison Paige Kuznitz says
What a fascinating blog post! I find it interesting that the British East India Company went to great lengths to discover the secret to tea making. I also appreciate your humor in this post about China’s opium usage.