Chicago Tea Party
The Chicago Tea Party was a generic term referring to early nationwide Tea Party protests opposing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as other spending and tax-related bills in response to the Great Recession.[1]
The first such protest took place on Feb. 16, 2009, in Seattle, Washington. The term itself was popularized by CNBC editor Rick Santelli who called for a "Chicago Tea Party" on-air.[2] Following Santelli's remarks, a nationwide coordinated day of action took place on Feb. 27 followed by a larger series of events on April 15, 2009.
Background
A number of events took place throughout 2009 as part of the national Tea Party movement, a series of protests in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other policies of President Barack Obama (D). The first coordinated day of action took place on Feb. 27 in Chicago and 48 other cities.[3][4] Following those events, organizers sponsored a larger series of demonstrations on April 15 to coincide with the filing deadline for U.S. income tax returns.[5] A reported 750 demonstrations took place across the country on April 15, making it the movement's largest single day of action.[2]
National attention was first brought to the idea of tea party demonstrations on Feb. 19, 2009, when CNBC on-air editor Rick Santelli delivered live remarks from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.[2] In the segment, Santelli opposed the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan and called for a "Chicago Tea Party."[6]
Organizers of early events ranged from local activists to established conservative organizations.[2] A coalition of three groups organized the initial day of coordinated events on Feb. 27: Top Conservatives on Twitter, Smart Girl Politics, and Don't Go.[7] Other organizers, sponsors, and promoters of later events included national organizations such as FreedomWorks, American Majority, and Americans for Prosperity, among others.[8][9]
Chicago gathering February 27
In addition to its usage as a generic term, Chicago Tea Party also refers to events specifically held in Chicago. The first such event was held on Feb. 27 at the Daley Plaza Civic Center in downtown Chicago. The main organizer of the Chicago rally was Eric Odom of the DontGo Movement.[10]
Footnotes
- ↑ CBS News, "A Growing "Tea Party" Movement?" March 4, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The New York Times, "Tax Day Is Met With Tea Parties," April 15, 2009
- ↑ Michael Partick Leahy, "The founding Mothers and Fathers of the Tea Party Movement," accessed Feb. 16, 2021
- ↑ Fox News, "Modern-Day Tea Parties Give Taxpayers Chance to Scream for Better Representation," accessed Feb. 16, 2021
- ↑ Tax Day Tea Party, "Home page," accessed Feb. 16, 2021
- ↑ YouTube, "Rick Santelli and the 'Rant of the Year,'" accessed Feb. 16, 2021
- ↑ Michael Patrick Leahy, "TCOT and online Conservatives Launch Nationwide Chicago Tea Party Friday February 27 at noon," February 20, 2009
- ↑ Tax Day Tea Party, "Home page," accessed Feb. 16, 2021
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Tea party protest backers ask for more," April 17, 2009
- ↑ DontGo Movement website, "The Birth of a New Revolution," Feb. 27, 2009
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