Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for December 16, 2019
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
December 16, 2019: On December 16, 1773—246 Years Ago Today—American colonists protested against Taxation Without Representation in an event known to history as the Boston Tea Party.
That momentous event was “the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists. It showed Great Britain that Americans wouldn’t take taxation and tyranny sitting down, and rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence.”[1]
On that day, colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians and dumped 340 chests of British East India Company tea into the harbor—more than 92,000 pounds of tea. In today’s money, that was roughly $1.7 million worth of tea. However, no damage was done to the ships, other items onboard, or the crews.[2][3]
That protest and the British response set in motion a series of events leading to the American War of Independence. Just over a year later, the British marched to Lexington and Concord hoping to capture two key leaders of the rebellion--Sam Adams and John Hancock. Instead, the shot heard ‘round the world was fired on April 19, 1775, and the war began.[4] Two-and-a-half years after the Boston Tea Party, the Continental Congress formally declared the new nation’s independence from Great Britain.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- December 13, 2019 –770 million surveillance cameras around the world
- December 12, 2019 –15.2 billion dollars spent on unwanted Christmas gifts
- December 11, 2019 –47 percent of Americans consider alcohol a very serious problem
- December 10, 2019 –65 percent of American adults drink alcohol
- December 9, 2019 –76 percent of companies will host a holiday party this year
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ History.com, "Boston Tea Party," accessed December 13, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia, "Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for December 14, 2018," accessed December 13, 2019
- ↑ Digital Public Library of America, "The Boston Tea Party," accessed December 13, 2019
- ↑ History.com, "Battles of Lexington and Concord," accessed December 13, 2019
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